MEDINA, Ohio (May 8, 2024) -- Rocky River dropped a 3-2 contest in a Thursday late-afternoon Great Lakes Conference crossover battle at Rocky River Field. The host Buckeye Bucks broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth and held on to win 3-2 in sending the Pirates to just their second conference loss of the season.
Rocky River (19-5, 11-2 GLC), which had already clinched the league's West Division title, had a four-game conference winning streak snapped with the loss in what marked the team's 2024 GLC finale.
Scott DiMarco (seven innings, four hits allowed, two runs, one earned run, three walks, nine strikeouts) outdueled Rees Heigle (6-2-3-2-1-9) in a contest played sans bullpens. Rocky River only got to DiMarco in the fourth when an Anthony Ferchill walk, Thomas Rossi double, and Buckeye error conspired to push across two runs. That brief offensive outburst knotted the game at 2-2 after the Bucks had plated lone runs in the second and third innings. The Pirates did not get a runner to the keystone sack at any other point of the game.
Ferchill reached base twice (single, walk) in lifting his season on-base percentage to .471.
Fifth-ranked Rocky River (Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association) is scheduled to continue its season with a Saturday home game against the Columbia Raiders. Start time on what marks Senior Day for the Double-R program is slated for 11 a.m.
by Skip Snow
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