ELYRIA, Ohio (April 16, 2024) -- A swashbuckling brand of Buccaneer baseball continues to rack up victories by hook or by crook. The 2024 Pirates have found a potent mix of offense, pitching, and defense. They have bludgeoned a few foes and squeaked by a few more. They have have won four games in come-from-behind fashion. They have triumphed at home and away. In Ohio and in South Carolina. And now, after a taut 3-2 Tuesday win at Elyria Catholic, the River Nine has put together a string of three straight one-run victories.
With Rocky River getting another stellar performance on the mound (the staff ERA is 1.46 through 10 games) and a clutch Pirate offense (RR owns a .331 batting average with runners in scoring position) coming through with two keys runs in two-out situations, the Pirates extended their season-opening win streak to 10 games while completing a two-game sweep of an EC program that outscored them 14-1 in two games last spring.
Junior pitcher Rees Heigle went the route, yielding two runs (one earned) while scattering four Panther singles. He also ledgered a walk-less nine-strikeout performance in a Great Lakes Conference West Division contest rife with clutch situations. No inning ended with either side up by more than one run.
Rocky River (10-0, 4-0 GLC West) got a lead-off homer from Josh Mommers, a third-inning run on a Panther error, and a fifth-inning run on a bases-juiced wild pitch. Three EC hurlers otherwise combined to keep a wrap on the River batting attack.
The Pirates outhit the Panthers 5-4, and River managed the win despite making an uncharacteristic three errors on defense.
Mommers finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Anthony Ferchill went 2-for-4 with a double, his fifth extra-base hit of the season. Both Pirates, who batted 1-2 in the River order, logged stolen bases.
Heigle's fine outing came on the heels of a Wednesday no-hitter. Across 22-2/3 innings pitched this season, he has allowed just 10 hits. He has fanned exactly nine batters in all four of his starts.
And for the swashbuckling Sons of Blackbeard, a thrilling win streak continues. Their baseball won-loss record says 10-0. The '10' represents the victories piled up any which way. The '0' could well be shorthand for, "Oh, my! They did it again!"
by Skip Snow
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