NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio (May 22, 2024) -- Rocky River's tremendous 2024 season came to a close Wednesday, as the Pirates were defeated 6-1 by Padua in the Northeast 5 District title game played at North Ridgeville High School.
A Buccaneer nine that so many times this season put together a clutch inning when one was needed was itself undone by the Bruins breaking a 1-1 tie when they leveraged two extra-base hits and two River errors in the top of the fifth inning. That all made for four runs in a game otherwise played out as a pitcher's duel.
Strong Padua pitching by Nick Hofener (six innings of one-run ball) and Makhi Williams (scoreless seventh) held Rocky River (23-6) to six scattered singles and a 1-for-9 performance with runners in scoring position.
Padua opened a 1-0 lead in the third. In the fourth frame, the Pirates leveled the score 1-1 when they put together three straight singles (Lucas Konopka, Griffin Hill, Jeff Maslar). But even then, the threat fizzled. All three hits had been with no outs. Hofener evaded a worse fate by retiring the next three batters. Those three outs were the front end of a critical three-inning stretch that saw the Bruin hurler retire 10-of-11 batters.
The Padua batting attack was led by Lucas Palange (2-for-4, three runs batted in), Trey Martin (3-for-4), and Williams (2-for-4, triple, RBI).
The Double-R, which had a magnificent season that included a 15-game win streak, weeks on end in the top-10 of the DII coaches poll, and a Great Lakes Conference West Division crown, closes out its spring of '24 with district runner-up hardware.
In this remarkable season of heart-stopping hardball, it was hardware hard-fought for. By a swashbuckling Buccaneer baseball team that that was hard to beat.
by Skip Snow
# # # Pirates # # #