Moose sets mark (06/15/06)

Stepping onto the field for the first time of the summer might make some players nervous. But not veterans like Matt Ousley and Pete Milas.

Ousley blanked the Geneva Cardinals for five innings Wednesday in his first start of 2006, breaking a record in the process. Milas played outstanding defense, reached base three out of four times and scored a run.

And their Portland Rocket teammates added plenty of other good things to the mix in an 8-0 victory over Geneva.

It was a record-breaking evening for Ousley, a South Adams graduate in his ninth season with the Rockets. Pitching five innings to pick up the victory, he surpassed Jim Geeslin for the No. 1 spot on the all-time Portland wins list.

“Matt Ousley is a veteran,” said Rocket manager Randy Miller after watching “Moose” strike out three while giving up five hits in five scoreless innings. “He knows how to pitch. And he plays with a quality defense behind him.”

Ousley worked out of a couple of jams to earn the win, inducing back-to-back ground-ball outs after allowing two on with just one out in the second inning. Geneva (6-4) had the bases loaded with one out against him in the fourth, but he struck out Travis Owens and got Travis Foster to bounce out back to the mound.

Milas, playing shortstop, and second baseman Heath Williams (Jay County) took care of the defense during the fifth and sixth innings, and relievers Korey Heppeard and Josh Jellison (Jay County) secured Ousley’s win.

Williams made every play in the fifth, charging hard on a pair of soft grounders by Matt Holycross and Chris Anderson before making a routine play on a ground ball from Alex Childers to end the inning. Milas grabbed control in the sixth, waving Williams aside to take care of an inning-ending double play by himself.

“It was Pete Milas’ first game of the season, but he showed why he’s (a former) league MVP,” said Miller. “He could get up on Christmas morning and play baseball. He’s just that good a player.”

Heppeard and Jellison were lights out as the only two Cardinal base runners over the final four innings came by way of hit batsmen.

Heppeard struck out three batters in three scoreless innings, and Jellison capped the game in the ninth.

Even with the strong effort by the Portland pitchers, Geneva stayed close for five innings behind Matt Perkins. He allowed one earned run on five hits before giving way to Joe Ottenweiler.

“He’s been very consistent with his pitches,” said Geneva manager Victor Canales of Perkins, who left the game trailing 2-0. “He doesn’t throw overpowering, but he does keep the ball in the strike zone and give us a chance to make plays.”

The Rocket bats quickly lit up as Mitch Waters (Jay County) started the sixth inning with a double. Matt Steinke added a one-out double and Milas ripped a single before the Cardinal defense faltered. The next three Portland batters reached base thanks to errors as the home team posted five runs — two earned — against Ottenweiler in the sixth.

Williams scored three runs for Portland and Derek Lehrman had three RBIs as the duo took care of the pair of runs against Perkins.

Williams led off the game with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Phil Bruns. Lehrman then brought him in with an RBI single to left field.

In the fifth inning Williams reached base on an error and then stole second. After a single by Bruns he scored on Lehrman’s sacrifice fly ball to right field.

Waters had two hits and a stolen base, and Matt Steinke notched a pair of doubles.

The No. 4, 5 and 6 hitters — Nate Colclasure (two hits), Corey Oetting (one hit) and Troy Hirschy (two hits) — produced all of Geneva’s offense.

“We actually had a lot of opportunities,” said Canales, whose team left five runners on base — four in scoring position — in the first four innings. “Every time we’ve lost this year it’s been the same thing. We haven’t taken care of the details that we should to win games. That’s what our theme is this year.”[[In-content Ad]]