Portland batters Birds again

DECATUR - In their first meeting this season, the Rockets fought off Decatur for a 4-1 victory. Each of the other three have been blowouts.

Portland racked up double-digit runs for the third straight game against their Adams County rivals, crushing the host Dirty Birds 12-1 in seven innings Tuesday evening.

The Rockets wasted little time in taking control, scoring seven times in the first inning after Jay County High School graduate Heath Williams led off the game with a single. They have scored 40 runs against Decatur in the last three meetings of their four-game season sweep.

Kris Gottschall (IPFW) had the big hit of the opening inning with a grand slam.

Riley Muhlenkamp and Jensen Painter each added homers.

Muhlenkamp, Painter, Ryan Shell and Thomas McCowan (JCHS) each had two hits. Every player in the team's starting lineup had at least one hit as the Rockets totaled 13.

Ethan Tribolet got the win as he allowed just a run on three hits in five innings. Josh Shatto (JCHS) and Nick Bruns each tossed one hitless inning of relief.

The victory extended Portland's winning streak to seven games. The team has won 16 of its last 18 overall and is now 25-10.[[In-content Ad]]