Rockets win 2 games in playoffs sat. 11-1 over warsaw, 7-5 over decatur 7/24/11

Good morning baseball fans, it’s a beautiful day in Portland. It rained, and that stopped the train.  Portland winners of the east division of the heartland baseball league, hosted the eastern playoffs sat.  and the rockettrain took on all comers, beat em all.  Portland’s team beat van wert thurs, remember that day, the hottest in 30 yrs. Then Portland ambushed the Warsaw Indians 11-1 sat. the nitecap matchup, Portland 7 decatur 5. Portland now the number one seed loaded the train and set out for the championship Sunday in east Chicago, whiting actually, but games where cancelled due to rain. So the championship is unsettled, Portland is to play gary patriots or mich. City lakers.  We will issue them a challenge.

Sat playoff action ;;;the rockets blasted Warsaw 11-1 in 5 inn.  Devin wilburn went all 5 inn biving uup just 3 hits. They touch wilburn up for one in the 1^st but that is all they would get. The lefty struck out 8.  game time 1hr 27 min.

All starters had hits and cody Campbell had 2. mark isenberg hit the last blast over cf head to complete the ten run mercy rule. 

In the nitegame the rockets rallied to beat the Decatur stinky pigeons 7-5  down 4-0 early the boys of summer put up 4 in the 4^th on some clutch 2 out hitting and creative baserunning. Geoff bowers and Dalton tinsely drove in runs and advanced bases in the rocket rally, we heard ya mickey, the 10^th man factor is loud and clear down the right field line.  Rockets score in the 5^th, 3 insurance runs in the 6^th and now have defeated Decatur 5 times in a row. Heath Williams, ben smith, geoff bowers each with 2 hits.  The game also was the pitching debut of mark isenberg – ice, the strongest arm on the club, one of  5 rocket pitchers was helped out by catcher chris miller. With 2 on, 2 out a the ball was hit straight up in the air, with runners going past him, catcher miller stayed on it and hauled it in  rockets win

4 games in all played at the ballyard sat, thanks brad, mickey, gary, kristie coach Kevin mccowan his long weekend, and doug tinsely, also to the community center and for dinner at the greasy pickle, even had a visit from mayor hosier.  Thanks to chief aker and dustin hilfiker for aiding in the watering of the field.

The rockets have now won 16 games in a row, and as ambassadors of Portland they were in route to Chicago, their quest a league championship.  But the rain came, no game

18 rockets soldier up each weekend to go wherever, that is commitment.  Especially when we had to stay up with the laundry till 1am sat. nite .

league championships are on hold,,,,,,coming to Portland ya, the j county fair,  also the world baseball congress national tournament begins fri this week.  Rockets will play fri nite, and sat nite will be jay county hospital nite.  Last years winner battle creek in a field of 8 teams from 5 states.  More details as the week unfolds

rockets division champs, 16 wins in a row, record 34-9  we stand Portland proud

randy miller pg 114