MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (April 4, 2024) -- Rocky River closed out its southern swing with a mighty big swing, and the Pirates now not only return to the North Coast with a nice memory in tow but with a conference record of 1-0.
Those are the spoils of a 2-1 Bay victory spoiled ... by a one-out, one-on, game-winning home run by junior outfielder Leigh Konet in the Pirates final game of their Myrtle Beach trip. The game -- a 3-2 Pirate triumph -- took place at a palm lined venue 725 miles south of RRHS against a foe from 13 miles west of RRHS, the Bay Rockets. And Konet's round-tripper was a thrilling end to a Great Lakes Conference West Division pitchers' duel and River's four-day participation in the Ripken Experience Myrtle Beach Spring Training Tournament.
Trailing 2-1 after two Rocket runs in the first, one River run in the fourth, and a whole lot of good pitching in and around those frames, Konet came to bat after freshman pitcher Reagan Kane, who walked seven and fanned as many in seven frames of circle work, had banged a leadoff single to center and advanced to third on a Bay error and a River ground-out. On an 0-1 pitch, Konet drilled a shot well over the 210-foot fence in left and into one memorable Pirate scorecard.
The home run -- off senior hurler Grace Pierce, who had twirled a gem to that point -- made for an exclamation point of an end to a three-game losing streak.
For the game, Bay outhit Rocky River 6-5. Pierce also yielded a double (Lillian Sereika) and a triple (Elizabeth Smalley) in the contest, but she whiffed seven batters against just one walk and until Konet batted in the bottom of the seventh had held the Buccaneers to a 0-for-3 mark with runners in scoring position.
Kane's work was fraught with more situational drama. She allowed a base runner in every inning but held the Rockets (0-5, 0-1 GLC West) to an 0-for-9 performance with runners in scoring position. That included striking out the last two batters she faced in snuffing out a scoring situation in the top of the seventh.
Both Kane and Pierce helped their own causes with two hits in the game.
It was Konet helping one important Rocky River (3-3, 1-0) cause -- that being a very happy bus ride home -- with the final swing of the game.
Back to the North Coast, 1-0 in the West, after a fun day down South.
by Skip Snow
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