Portland rockets go 3 for 4 on weekend, split with Warsaw, sweep south bend june 20,2011

Good morning baseball fans, it’s a beautiful day in Portland.  Portland rockets this weekend, just like last weekend go  3 out of 4.  rockets split with the Warsaw Indians sat winning 2-0  game 2 we lost 9-8 in 8 innings.  Sunday the rockets swept the south bend sultans at Mishawaka marian h. s. 12-0 and 7-2.

Sat. Portland beat the Warsaw Indians riding the wing of rocket veteran eric van matre 2-0. eric, assistant coach at ball state, threw 5 inn. No-hit baseball . masterful mixing up of pitches, he is returning to top form after injury last year.  Brad benbow and Trevor kill finished mound duties preserving the shutout. Good crowd on hand , of course the maloys, carl funk, chittum saw a the game in 1 hour 21 min. after a half hour rain delay.

Game 2 rockets came all the way back from a 5-0 deficit, took an 8-5 lead into the last inning, but couldn’t hold it , lose 9-8 in 8 inn.  Craig martin, taylor univ. was not hit hard, but hit with bad luck, giving up 5 runs, 5 hits in 5 inn. Brad benbow quieted the Indian uprising,  and geoff bowers blasted a moon shot to left, home run as the rockets took the lead. Trevor kill who had 3 saves in row, came in the 7^th but was touched up and took the loss. Rockets had the winning run at 3^rd in the 8^th in Dalton tinsely, but after the squeeze was fouled off, a pitch later, Dalton broke for home on a wild pitch.  The ball caromed off the new cement backstop right to the turned around catcher, and it was close but his shoveled toss to the pitcher covering was in time for the out.  Just a split second earlier, Dalton.  Wow 

Sunday the rockets traveled to Mishawaka  to face north west division foe, south bend sultans.  Portland swept the DH 12-0 and 7-2.  game one tyler Reynolds, Muncie threw a nohitter in the 5 inn game.  Only 1 man reached base. Every time out we become more impressed with this lefthander------Tyler struck out 4, 56 pitches in his masterpiece. lefthanders----  wilburn, van matre, martin, and Reynolds--- pretty impressive arms stash from the left side. Righthanders bollenbacker, kill, benbow, Holloway and daggett.

Sunday was a treat: game one, every rocket starter had at least one hit and ben smith maria stein, hit a monster home run in each game., 3 on the young season .  I love games we win especially when we have a double play and a home run.   We had 4 double plays on the day. 

Game 2 was all tyler Holloway , complete game much like his last start, a 3 hitter allowing 2 runs, 1 earned.  And his knuckler was working.

Offensively this weekend the rockets are timing it up, 44 hits in 4 games-home runs by bowers and smith but check this out—brady roundtree Anderson in the last 5 games

Roundtree 17 ab 10 hits  also bowers 14 ab 9hits, mccowan 16 ab 7 hits, miller 11ab 6 hits

Rockets have won 9 out of last 11 and are now 10-5 overall, 8-2 in league as leaders of the eastern division of the heartland amateur league. Rockets have 3 days off before rematch with Decatur thurs at bellmont h.s.  fri at van wert. Sat home vs. napolean sun (schedule has a glitch) we go to warsaw.

Congrats to heath Williams voted player of the week by the league. 

Happy birthday sat to donna chittum and today, jack houck and john brigham

Interesting note;  Mishawaka marian lost to Crawfordsville in the state finals sat. at victory field Indianapolis. We were on their field sun. and met coach jim Aldridge and wished him well,.. one of south bend’s pitchers attends bethel college---his coach is seth zartman former rocket and owner of some of thelongest balls hit in Portland---this kid pitched sun after his bachelor party sat nite.. special thanks to judge tom clem for his help in the press box. 

Tues I will speak at 7 pm to the jay county historical society on the history of the Portland rockets. All are welcome to attend. I had a special visit last week with Maggie runkle and we went over Richard runkle’s detailed scrapbooks.  Richard her son, founded the rockets in 1960---did you know the Portland’s team original name?? Our boys.

Note by coach john Edwards Warsaw on sat. DH in Portland.

Classy day, classy program