ELYRIA, Ohio (April 27, 2024) -- Rocky River's season-opening win streak came to an end Saturday. After more than a month of victories -- some as dominant ones and others as wildly improbable ones with magical finishes -- the Pirates were felled by the Elyria Pioneers 8-1.
River pitching yielded eight runs on seven hits and six walks, and the host Pioneers leveraged those base runners into crooked numbers in both the fourth (four runs) and fifth (3R) innings. On offense, the Pirates registered four hits and five walks of their own. But two Elyria double plays and a River 0-for-7 mark with runners in scoring position served to erase much of that potential leverage. The Buccaneers' lone run scored when senior Dan Capka led off the top of the fifth with a single and came around to score on a two-out Pioneer error.
Batting third and fourth in the Double-R order, Thomas Rossi (double, walk) and Michael Perry (single, walk) each reached base twice. But they were bracketed by a combined 0-for-11 by the first, second, fifth, and sixth slots in the lineup.
The 8-1 result marked the team's fewest runs scored and most runs allowed in a single game in what has been a magical season. The DII No. 1-ranked (Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association) Pirates had not lost a regular-season game since May 11.
The Sons of Blackbeard likely won't have long to dwell on their first such loss in 50 weeks. Rocky River (15-1) is scheduled to get back it with Great Lakes Conference West Division games against Westlake Monday (at WHS) and Tuesday (Rocky River Field).
The game of baseball does not allow its combatants much time to dwell on failure or even celebrate success. And there would appear to be a slew of big games ahead for this talented River nine. But in the meantime ...
Long live the Win Streak of '24. May it be remembered by Rocky River baseball fans for many years. And fondly recalled by the players who pulled it off for all of theirs.
CANNON FIRE ...
CONTACT IS KING: At the plate, Rocky River filed five walks against just three strikeouts Saturday. For the season, River batters have worked 86 walks (5.4 per game) while striking out just 82 times (5.1). ... The Pirates have hit .297 as a team, but with Saturday's clutch-hitting misfires the team's batting average with runners in scoring position fell to .266. The Double-R's leaders in that category have been Thomas Rossi (.455) and Anthony Ferchill (.435).
ANATOMY OF A WIN STREAK: Rocky River's 15-game win streak by the numbers -- the Pirates ... hit .304/.421/.407 (batting/on-base/slugging) and stole 54 bases ... logged 33 extra-base hits ... outscored their 15 opponents 93-29 ... clocked a 1.13 ERA ... filed three no-hitters ... went 6-0 in games decided by two runs or less ... went 6-0 in games decided by five runs or more ... went 7-0 at home, 5-0 on the road, and 3-0 in neutral-site games.
by Skip Snow
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