Portland Patriots? (06/29/07)

Just to be clear, this was a Rocket win and not a Patriot triumph. Although, it was hard to tell the difference.

Area fans who made their way to Runkle-Miller Field at Portland Memorial Park Thursday night saw plenty of familiar faces as two-thirds of the Portland Rockets' starting lineup was Jay County High School graduates.

Jay County-plus three continued the Rocket winning streak with a 7-4 victory over the visiting Geneva Cardinals.

Many players from both rosters didn't make the trip to Portland with storms just before game time threatening to cancel the action. But the Rockets had the nine they needed, including JCHS graduates third baseman Mitch Waters (2002), shortstop Heath Williams (2004), pitcher Josh Atkinson and center fielder Cory Locke (both 2006) and second baseman Tony McCowan and first baseman Andy Hughes (both 2007).

Portland, which has now won five in a row after an 0-10 start, trailed 2-1 heading to the bottom of the third inning before a pair of former Patriots got on base to set up the biggest hit of the game.

McCowan opened the bottom of the third inning with a single to left field, and Williams reached base on an error. Geneva starter Jared Baker managed to retire the next two batters, but he couldn't get the Rockets' clean-up man.

Todd Graves smashed a line drive home run, his first of the season, over the right field fence to put Portland in the lead for good.

McCowan and Williams scored again in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Waters for a 6-2 lead, and McCowan doubled and scored on a Williams single for the final run in the eighth.

Williams and McCowan each finished with three hits and three runs, and Graves went 2-for-4 with the three-run homer. Waters added two hits and an RBI, and Hughes picked up his first career Rocket hit with an infield single in his final at bat.

The runs supported a solid effort on the hill from Atkinson, who allowed four runs - three earned - in 62/3 innings. He gave up nine hits, and got some help from his defense.

McCowan turned a double play in the fourth inning on the line drive off the bat of Shane Hisner, then five Rockets got involved in an strange double play in the fifth.

With one out and Geneva's Adam King on first base and Matt Hille second, Ryan Munro hit a ground ball to Williams at shortstop. He tossed to McCowan at second for the first out, but the relay throw to Hughes at first was not in time to get Hisner.

As Hughes got the ball Hille rounded third base, drawing a throw across the diamond from the first baseman.

His toss sailed off the mark into foul territory and Hille broke for home, but he wasn't quick enough as Waters tracked down the ball. He got it back in to Greg Cauble just in time as the catcher's sweeping tag caught Hille on the back of the leg just before he touched home plate.

Atkinson followed with a one-two-three sixth inning, before getting into some trouble in the seventh. Waters came on for the final out of the inning and added a hitless eighth.

Ryan Schmidt threw 10 balls in his first 12 pitches as he entered in the ninth, but bounced back after consecutive walks to strike out Eric Hisner and Adam King. With two outs Munro hit a grounder to Williams, who tossed to McCowan at second to end the game.

Eric Hisner led Geneva at 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run, and King and Jacob Ryan each added two hits. Hille scored a pair of runs.

Baker suffered the defeat as only three of the seven runs against him were earned. He gave up 10 hits and seven walks.[[In-content Ad]]