Rockets shake up LaMargarita (06/23/03)

PORTLAND — Three more wins this weekend have the Portland Rockets on their way to another outstanding season.

The Rockets completed a great weekend at home Sunday with a double-header sweep against Fort Wayne league rival LaMargarita. Portland cruised to a 9-1 five-inning win in the first game, and took the second 6-1.

It also won a tight game against the Dayton Warhawks Saturday, 5-4.

The first game swung into the Rockets’ control quickly as they took advantage of a multitude of LaMargarita errors.

After designated hitter Josh Mayfield opened with a walk, Matt Curtis reached on an error. Adam Childs followed with a single to center field, and then another error got Ryan Rammel to first base safely.

Two runs were already in before James Nowicki struck out for the first out of the game, and LaMargarita nearly escaped after that. Brandon Dillon popped out to first base, but then Luke Momrik came up big.

The third baseman smacked a line drive to center field, which landed and took a mammoth hop. It flew well past the charging center fielder’s glove and went all the way to the fence.

Momrik went all the way to third base for a two-RBI triple

Portland (12-3) got started again in the second inning when Mayfield reached first on a one-out error from LaMargarita. Curtis doubled, Childs singled, and Rammel doubled to bring in two more runs.

Nowicki went down for the second out of the inning, but Brandon Dillon then delivered what would be the crushing blow. He nailed a line-drive, three-run home run down the left field line for the 9-0 lead.

Childs and Rammel each had two hits, two runs and an RBI in the game. Mayfield and Curtis each scored twice, Dillon had three RBIs and Momrik finished with a pair of RBIs.

Matt Ousley earned the win, allowing his only run on a homer in the fifth inning. He struck out two, walked two and gave up four hits.

Jay County graduate Pete Byrum got into plenty of trouble in the second game, but was still able to match Ousley’s effort. He walked the first two batters he faced — and four in five innings — only to escape nearly every jam.

He followed the two first-inning walks with three straight strikeouts to end the frame. He struck out two more in the second inning before his defense finally recorded an out when Curtis gunned down a runner at the plate after fielding a single in left field.

Byrum earned the win in five innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run thanks to a series of wild pitches and passed balls. He struck out seven, and Mike Hale tossed two scoreless innings of relief.

Portland didn’t get on the board until the fourth inning in game two, but did it quickly as Rammel, Nowicki and Dillon notched consecutive hits to open the inning. Dillon’s double brought in the first two runs, and Matt Gard finished the three-run from with a single to left field.

The Rockets got two more runs in the fifth inning on three straight inning-opening hits from Curtis, Childs and Rammel. They added an insurance run in the sixth.

Rammel completed his five-hit day with a 3-for-3 effort in game two. He scored once and had one RBI.

Childs went 3-for-6 on the day, keeping his team-leading average well over .400.[[In-content Ad]]