friday nite baseball means good old fashioned hard ball at the corner of western and blaine wood bats, nine innings, home runs, rocket dogs, sodas, double plays, good community spirit all in a couple hours

rockets take the friday nite marquis, 11-2  brad benbow went 5 inn and allowed just 2 runs, but the locals already had 8 runs after 4 and threatened to end it early with the mercy rule, but left runners on in both the 7th and 8 th innings.  benbow gave up just 3 hits, but 5 walks, enter tyler reynolds.  he goes 3 inn. in 29 pitches allowing 0 runs 1 hit.  tyler holloway throws 7 pitches to close out the ninth.

offense: every rocket starter had a hit except 1,,we ouhit em 11-4, but lets talk about right fielder ben smith. smith had 3 hits, scored 3 runs, and 4 rbi and a most impressive moon shot to right field that was so high, so long everyone had time to gasp for breath twice..  the ball landed in the parking lot---that is correct---beyond the hedges and onto the pavement  that has to be near 500ft.  i will measure when i get there today.  last blast like that may have been former rocket mark hillman in the 90's or maybe mike meinerding from ft. recovery./ ben smith is a maria stein native and a leader on our team, he has 8 home runs (we had 4 as a team all last season)

thomas mccowan and cody campbell also had 2 hits each. still the rockets left 13 men on base in 8 inn at the bat. we had runners in scoring position every inn. but the 8 th.

great to see a buzzin about the bleachers with a fine crowd on hand,  good to see former rocket duane sautbine and rose and they always make me laugh---thanks for the generous donation salty!!!!

also larry and donna chittum, the maloys don and marilyn, and my old teammate and friend randy "nubs" smith and his wife. and dont forget phil from lynn--he gets on the rocket train every year this time as he gets pennant fever

here is a portland rocket first::::: dry weather is tough on a playing field that is over used. after nature's green landscaping provided an outfield treatment, doug blankenbaker spoke with fire chief chad aker and............the fire department gave a spraying to the runkle-miller outfield.. thanks, now that is community support

no game sat----bad business on the hands of the cinci chiefs---i have never called a manager ever and said we are unable to come, and now it has happened 3 times this year to us,,,,it really messes up our pitching plans and gives us a bad taste   this old manager rarely gets a burr up, but those 3 failed committments will NOT be forgotten

sun rockets play huntington at 1 pm DH in portland.  it is the last regular season home games of a fine season.  dan bollenbacher the starter game 1, eric van matre game 2

it will be interesting to see how eric's tryout went this past week with the gary railcats

see ya sun at the ballyard