Rockets stumble in 7th (08/05/06)

The Ks didn't come quite quickly enough.

Ryan Schmidt closed the Portland Rocket pitching effort with three consecutive strikeouts. But they came after U.S. Athletic Red scored four times in the final two innings to swipe a 5-3 victory from the host team in the first round of the American Amateur Baseball Congress state tournament at Runkle-Miller Field Friday night.

Portland led 3-2 heading into the final frame of the three-team tournament's first game, but U.S. Athletic Red got a couple of good breaks.

First Kyle Knowles managed an infield hit on a grounder hit between Jay County graduates Heath Williams at shortstop and Mitch Waters at third base. Then No. 8 hitter Alex Thieroff knocked a single through the gap to right field in the space vacated by second baseman Adam Childs as he headed to cover second base when Knowles broke from first.

South Adams graduate Matt Ousley then hit No. 9 hitter Cory Kral to load the bases.

Schmidt took over on the mound from his spot in left field, but could not find his groove in time. He gave up a two-run double to Brandon Bell, his second of the game, and then tossed a wild pitch to allow another run as he walked Scott Hamilton.

He finally escaped the disastrous seventh by striking out Jason Jamerson, Lairn Russell and Lee Brenton in order.

Phil Bruns came up with a two-out walk for Portland in the bottom of the seventh, but third baseman Knowles made a tremendous diving grab on a hot shot by Lehrman and threw him out to end the contest.

Jordan Abrell picked up the win in relief for U.S. Athletic Red, striking out one and walking one in 1 2/3 innings. Ryan Hill got the final out for the save.

Bell was the offensive catalyst with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run. Jamerson and Knowles also had two hits apiece.

Portland got all of its nine hits in the first five innings, leaving five runners on base in the process. Bruns finished 2-for-3 with a double and a run, Waters was 2-for-2 with a with a run and an RBI, and Lehrman had two hits and an RBI

Ousley opened with three no-hit innings, and Portland (24-12) built a 3-1 lead through five innings. But, Midwest Prospects League rival U.S. Athletic Red figured out the Moose the second time through the order.

The visitors picked up six hits over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to pull within 3-2, then pushed through for the lead in the seventh to tag the nine-year Rocket veteran with the defeat.[[In-content Ad]]