Battle creek behnke wins world baseball congress title, rockets runnersup

Good morning baseball fans, it’s a beautiful day in Portland happy august everyone

The world baseball congress national tournament concluded yesterday at runkle-miller field. 8 teams from 5 states, Indiana, ohio,Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky- competed and it came down to 2 teams on championship Sunday.  Portland rockets and the battle creek buds,  .  your winner, battle creek behnke 4-1 over the rockets.  The 2 teams had met on Saturday nite and battle creek beat Portland 4-3 but Portland was declared winner of their pool based on the fact they had allowed 2 fewer runs in pool play than behnke. 

So on championship Sunday, the in semifinals action, Portland rockets defeated the northwest patriots from Merrillville, and battle creek took out the Illinois jayhawks.

Portland lost then in the finals to battlecreek, 4-1 spoiling a fine pitching effort by mitch waters who gave up 3 earned runs on 5 hits, striking out 10.  the rockets only could muster 2 hits vs. the battle creek 18 yr old pitcher cam bortell, one of them a home run by bryan brudi.  We only had 4 hits against em on sat. nite in that 4-3 loss.

Rockets won on Friday nite, 10-1 over Cincinnati chiefs, mitch waters 6 innings of no hit baseball,  then on Saturday after a 2hour rain delay, Portland defeated ft. wayne pirates 12-4. will walters pitched a 5 hitter striking out 10, brian brudi 4 hits, mark isenberg had 3. so Portland was 2-0 and set for the big battle creek game.  Playoff atmosphere to be sure.  Battle creek took down dan bollenbacker with 4 runs scored in the middle innings but on 6 hits and 6 walks,Derek mounsey in to finish em off, but Portland conjured up a rocket rally in the last inning, scoring 3 times and brudi at 3^rd with the tying run,,, mitch hit it hard, but a fine defensive play nailed brudi at the plate, behnke wins 4-3

The rockets Sunday knocked out the northwest patriots 6-2 behind 5 hit pitching by bill geeslin.  Bill struck out 8 in 6 innings, mounsey again finished em off.  0-0 in the 4^th , rockets loaded the bases, mitch waters drives in one run, Thomas mccowan’s double drives in 3 rockets lead 4-0 and cruise to the 6-2 win.

Lots of compliments on a fine tournament, good crowds, good food good competition. And we are Portland proud of our facility. Truly the big city has nothing over Portland on a baseball park  and its fans.  Special thanks to jeff harker and doug blankenbaker for their efforts.  Also to those on field preparations,, brad miller, rocky Williams and david waters.  And its always fun to have mickey and gary out there at the lunching pad.  Great show put  together by director victor canales.

All 3 days at the ball park we raffled off free nite stays at the holiday inn express and also coupons were given for buffalo wings and rings.  Portland went to bat and did well……

As tournament runnersuup, the rockets had 4 players on the all-tourney team…  of. bryan brudi went 8 – 15 on the weekend scoring 8 runs and had 7 rbi,,,,,,,mitch waters pitched 2 big games struck out 17 in 13 innings, also went 4-15 at the plate, heath Williams went 6-13 scoring 5 runs, 3 rbi bill geeslin pitched portlands win over northwest 5hits, 8 ks.

Thomas mccowan also had 6 hits for the weekend.

That completes all baseball in Portland this season, but the rockets advance to nabf regionals this Thursday in Cincinnati. 

Rockets lose championship game to battle creek to complete the wbc tournament.

Winners received a trophy, medallions for each player, a wbc banner by pengap, we like those guys , and numerous team photos.  MVP was ss kyle kracht.

Portland got the second place trophy, not as cool as the championship trophy we won in ft wayne july  4^th weekend, and each player received a medallion .

Rocket roadtrip to Cincinnati in regionals

We love ya in Portland

This is randy miller pg 14