May 30, 2023 at 7:24 p.m.
Rocket arms
Pitching strong for Portland in its opener
Rocket arms
By Andrew Balko-
It took the Rockets’ pitchers no time to warm up.
The four rocket pitchers allowed a total of six hits. They limited the Royals’ offense, which could only push two runners across home plate.
The strong performance on the mound lifted the Portland Rockets to a 6-2 victory over the South Bend Royals in the season-opener Saturday night at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field. They then split Sunday's doubleheader, losing the opening 14-4 before winning game two 9-5.
“We had the big flag, the big ceremony, the big cannon and a big win,” Rockets manager Randy Miller said. “What better way can you open the season? It’s such a beautiful thing.”
Tyler Reynolds started on the mound for the Rockets, throwing five innings and earning the win. He gave up a hit in the first two innings, but never had much of a threat.
Donovan Shepherd led off the third with a single and advanced to third base on an error by Blake Caldwell at the bag. With runners on second and third and one out, Shepherd tried to score but was cut down at home on a throw from Caldwell, a 2021 Jay County High School graduate.
Reynolds came back with a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth before he ran into some trouble in the fifth. A pair of singles by Brian Ricci and Shepherd put some pressure on. A run scored on a ground ball hit to second base when Peyton Smith elected to get the sure out at first base rather than try to throw home. Another ball was chopped in front of home plate, when Magnuss Lee popped up and threw down to first for the second out.
The first pitch of the next at bat got away from Lee, and Shepherd took off for the plate. Lee was able to track the ball down in time and toss it to Reynolds to cut Shepherd down once again.
“We had some chances early to get another run or two,” Royals manager Erik Hisner said. “It was 2-0, we get an RBI groundout, we move them up to second and third. If we get a run there, it might be a little bit different.”
Garrison Brege relieved Reynolds in the sixth inning and immediately gave up a single to Will Swisher. He then locked in to strike the next two batters out and induce a ground out to end the inning.
Brege then struck out the side in the seventh.
“The Brege kid, they couldn’t catch up to him,” Miller said. “He’s got some lightning bolts. He throws darts and lasers."
Crosby Heniser, JCHS Class of 2022, was given the ball in the eighth inning. He got the first two batters out before a pair of walks and hit batters loaded the bases and scored a run. Miller then pulled Heniser for Trevor Sheets, who only needed one pitch to get Shepherd to fly out to right field and get out of the jam.
“I’m used to it. At Wright State-Lake I always come in during big situations,” Sheets said. “Coach (John) Bailey has got me ready for that.”
Sheets stayed in for the ninth, when a groundout and two strikeouts looking ended the game.
“You’ve always got to start with a first-pitch strike,” Sheets said. “Then you work your off-speed. You get them thinking whatever they want, then you throw them something different. I just had that working tonight.”
The Rockets outhit the Royals 9-6, with Joel Kennedy leading the way as he recorded two singles, a double and an RBI.
The scoring started in the fourth inning, when Jared Holley, Zach Tanner, Kennedy and Smith all strung together hits to score two runs.
Two more runs scored in the fifth because of hits from Holley and Kennedy, as well as some help from Ayden Lichtensteiger and Jon Maloy.
“First couple of innings we stranded some guys, but after that it was the middle of the order production,” Miller said. “Tanner, Kennedy, Smith they all got big hits. We got some good breaks along the way too.”
The final two runs came in the seventh inning. Maloy and Holley both reached base on errors, before Kennedy delivered his RBI-double to give the Rockets the 6-1 advantage.
The Rockets dropped the first game Sunday 14-4 to the Royals.
South Bend put together big third and fourth innings.
Holley suffered the loss after giving up five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Sam Dunlavy pitched in the fourth inning when the Royals were able to score seven runs (four earned).
Kennedy was the Rockets’ bright spot in the game, hitting a two-run home run in the fourth.
The Rockets came back to claim the second game on Sunday 9-5.
The Royals struck for four quick runs in the first two innings, but the Rockets slowly made their way back from there.
A two-RBI triple in the second from Brege opened the scoring for the Rockets. They scored two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings as well, and three in the sixth. During that stretch, Zach Tanner had two hits to drive in two runs.
Sheets earned the win, slinging 5 1/3 innings in which he only gave up one unearned run while striking out seven batters.
The four rocket pitchers allowed a total of six hits. They limited the Royals’ offense, which could only push two runners across home plate.
The strong performance on the mound lifted the Portland Rockets to a 6-2 victory over the South Bend Royals in the season-opener Saturday night at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field. They then split Sunday's doubleheader, losing the opening 14-4 before winning game two 9-5.
“We had the big flag, the big ceremony, the big cannon and a big win,” Rockets manager Randy Miller said. “What better way can you open the season? It’s such a beautiful thing.”
Tyler Reynolds started on the mound for the Rockets, throwing five innings and earning the win. He gave up a hit in the first two innings, but never had much of a threat.
Donovan Shepherd led off the third with a single and advanced to third base on an error by Blake Caldwell at the bag. With runners on second and third and one out, Shepherd tried to score but was cut down at home on a throw from Caldwell, a 2021 Jay County High School graduate.
Reynolds came back with a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth before he ran into some trouble in the fifth. A pair of singles by Brian Ricci and Shepherd put some pressure on. A run scored on a ground ball hit to second base when Peyton Smith elected to get the sure out at first base rather than try to throw home. Another ball was chopped in front of home plate, when Magnuss Lee popped up and threw down to first for the second out.
The first pitch of the next at bat got away from Lee, and Shepherd took off for the plate. Lee was able to track the ball down in time and toss it to Reynolds to cut Shepherd down once again.
“We had some chances early to get another run or two,” Royals manager Erik Hisner said. “It was 2-0, we get an RBI groundout, we move them up to second and third. If we get a run there, it might be a little bit different.”
Garrison Brege relieved Reynolds in the sixth inning and immediately gave up a single to Will Swisher. He then locked in to strike the next two batters out and induce a ground out to end the inning.
Brege then struck out the side in the seventh.
“The Brege kid, they couldn’t catch up to him,” Miller said. “He’s got some lightning bolts. He throws darts and lasers."
Crosby Heniser, JCHS Class of 2022, was given the ball in the eighth inning. He got the first two batters out before a pair of walks and hit batters loaded the bases and scored a run. Miller then pulled Heniser for Trevor Sheets, who only needed one pitch to get Shepherd to fly out to right field and get out of the jam.
“I’m used to it. At Wright State-Lake I always come in during big situations,” Sheets said. “Coach (John) Bailey has got me ready for that.”
Sheets stayed in for the ninth, when a groundout and two strikeouts looking ended the game.
“You’ve always got to start with a first-pitch strike,” Sheets said. “Then you work your off-speed. You get them thinking whatever they want, then you throw them something different. I just had that working tonight.”
The Rockets outhit the Royals 9-6, with Joel Kennedy leading the way as he recorded two singles, a double and an RBI.
The scoring started in the fourth inning, when Jared Holley, Zach Tanner, Kennedy and Smith all strung together hits to score two runs.
Two more runs scored in the fifth because of hits from Holley and Kennedy, as well as some help from Ayden Lichtensteiger and Jon Maloy.
“First couple of innings we stranded some guys, but after that it was the middle of the order production,” Miller said. “Tanner, Kennedy, Smith they all got big hits. We got some good breaks along the way too.”
The final two runs came in the seventh inning. Maloy and Holley both reached base on errors, before Kennedy delivered his RBI-double to give the Rockets the 6-1 advantage.
The Rockets dropped the first game Sunday 14-4 to the Royals.
South Bend put together big third and fourth innings.
Holley suffered the loss after giving up five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Sam Dunlavy pitched in the fourth inning when the Royals were able to score seven runs (four earned).
Kennedy was the Rockets’ bright spot in the game, hitting a two-run home run in the fourth.
The Rockets came back to claim the second game on Sunday 9-5.
The Royals struck for four quick runs in the first two innings, but the Rockets slowly made their way back from there.
A two-RBI triple in the second from Brege opened the scoring for the Rockets. They scored two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings as well, and three in the sixth. During that stretch, Zach Tanner had two hits to drive in two runs.
Sheets earned the win, slinging 5 1/3 innings in which he only gave up one unearned run while striking out seven batters.
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