ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (March 25, 2023) -- With solid pitching throughout and key hits late, Rocky River triumphed 4-2 over the Vermilion Sailors in its 2024 season opener at Rocky River Field Monday.

Senior Thomas Rossi started for the Pirates and went 4 1/3 strong innings, holding the Sailors in check with solo markers in the fourth and fifth frames. Rossi fanned seven while issuing just one base on balls.

Rocky River (1-0) left runners in scoring position in the first and third innings, but down 2-0 when they came to bat in the bottom of the fifth, the Sons of Blackbeard turned back-to-back doubles (Anthony Ferchill, Rossi) and a Vermilion error into two runs to tie the game 2-2.

Reliever Joe Brant, who spelled Rossi in the fifth, worked into and out of trouble in the Sailor sixth. A leadoff double by Rees Heigle keyed a two-run bottom-of-the-sixth for River. The Buccaneers vaulted into a 3-2 lead on a Matt Gutia single to right and then added an insurance run on an infield single by Josh Mommers.

Michael Perry came on to close out the win in the seventh, and he pitched a 1-2-3 inning to dispatch the Sailors without drama.

Rocky River registered its four runs on eight hits. Vermilion logged two scores on five hits. Each side was tagged with an error.

Mommers (single, walk), Heigle (double, walk), and Griffin Hill (single, walk) all reached base twice for the Pirates. River pitching held the Sailors' 3-4-and-5 batters to a combined 1-of-11 with four strikeouts.

by Skip Snow

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