Bollenbacher throws no-hitter, Rockets win two

Fort Wayne couldn’t touch Dan Bollenbacher.
The Portland Rockets’ starter struck out the side in the first inning. Then he did it again in the second and third frames.
The South Adams graduate fanned 12 of the 16 batters he faced and no-hit the visiting Fort Wayne Red Sox in a slaughter-rule-shortened 13-0 victory in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Portland (14-6) took both games off of Fort Wayne, also winning the opener 3-1 behind the arm of starter Billy Geeslin.
Bollenbacher ripped through the Red Sox’s lineup the first time through, striking out all nine batters, catching three batters looking and taking down six swinging.
In the top of the fourth inning, Fort Wayne’s leadoff hitter grounded out to third base to end the streak of strikeouts, but Bollenbacher added three more before the close of the game after five innings.
Fort Wayne’s only base-runner came from a throwing error when pitcher Ethan Daggett, who was playing third base after the Rockets starters subbed out, overthrew first base on a two-out ground ball.
“It’s just one of those days,” Bollenbacher said. “Everything was clicking. Everything was working.”
“Big Dan has a way of putting people out and putting their tails between their legs,” said manager Randy Miller of Bollenbacher’s 68-pitch outing.
Fort Wayne threatened to break up the no-hitter with a hard hit ball to deep center, but outfielder Grant Hendershot was able to hustle back and make the catch over his head to save the effort.
Bollenbacher, who threw 42 consecutive scoreless innings for the Rockets in 2011, picked up his first win in his last three starts after taking a loss against Michigan City and no decision against the Fort Wayne Jackers.
Bollenbacher sat out the spring college season, but is quickly regaining the dominance he brought to Portland last summer.
“I came in with a big stretch of not playing,” he said. “I’m starting to get the feeling back and it’s feeling a lot better.”
The no-hitter was backed offensively by bats that came alive after a sporadic hitting effort in game one.
Portland was up 1-0 after the first inning when Dalton Tinsely took home on a wild pitch. The Rockets added three runs in the second from a two-RBI triple from Hendershot before he scored on a ground ball from Tinsely that was misplayed by Fort Wayne’s shortstop.
But the fireworks really began in the third inning amidst light rain.
Portland batted 12 men in the inning and scored nine runs, including a two-run single from Hendershot, a two-RBI triple from Tinsely and a two-run home run by Jay County High School graduate Mitch Waters.
In game one, the Rockets lacked the explosive hitting but benefited from another solid outing from starting pitcher Billy Geeslin.
Geeslin hit double-digit strikeouts for his second start in a row, sitting down 10 batters in five innings, surrendering two hits, two walks and hitting one batter. He struck out the side in the first inning and iced two batters each in the second, fourth and fifth innings.
Geeslin struck out 12 men in six innings in his last start on June 19 against the Ohio Warhawks.
“It felt like everything is just getting more consistent every outing,” Geeslin said. “I haven’t felt this good in a long time. My arm is really holding up and that’s what been able to build a little consistency. It’s about getting everything out front and extended and I feel like when I do that I’m so consistent and I can spot my off-speed.”
The only run against Portland scored in the second inning when 44-year-old former MLB pitcher Keith Shepherd broke for home plate on a straight steal. Geeslin, caught off guard, overthrew catcher Billy Wellman, allowing Shepherd to slide in safely.
Portland responded in the bottom half of the innings to tie the game on an RBI single from Chris Miller. The Rockets added another run in the third inning when Tinsely crossed after Wellman beat out a throw to first preventing a double play that would have ended the inning.
Second baseman Logan Hug added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI triple.
Travis Gray picked up a save, throwing two scoreless innings in relief, striking out four and walking one.[[In-content Ad]]