Rockets top rival

Whether new talent or familiar faces, the Rockets’ pitchers had the same results on the mound. They were in control.
Newcomer Devin Wilburn, Portland veteran Eric Van Matre and Trevor Kill combined on a three-hit shutout Tuesday, leading the Rockets to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Decatur Dirty Birds.
“I’m impressed more each time I see this team,” said Portland manager Randy Miller. “Two guys that have not pitched in two years … came back and looked dominant. … What a thrill that was for me to see those guys taste success. It’s just awesome.”
After Wilburn (Ball State University) shut out the Dirty Birds for the first six innings at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field, Miller handed the ball to Van Matre. Returning to the mound after suffering an arm injury in the Rockets’ season-opener last year, the former Ball State hurler struck out the first batter he faced on three pitchers
Van Matre struck out four batters, including former Rocket Bryan Brudi with two runners on base in the eighth inning, in two scoreless innings of work.
“It was very nice,” said Van Matre, who said he hopes to work his way into the starting rotation, of the opening strikeout. “My warm-up pitches were a little wild … but then when he stepped in the box and I threw the first one, it was just like riding a bike.
“It was a great feeling, great to be back out there.”
Kill, who played for Portland briefly two seasons ago, struck out a pair of batters in the ninth to earn the save.
Wilburn and Decatur’s Scott Baker set the tone from the start, each tossing no-hitters through the first three innings. The Dirty Birds broke through with a single by Zac Pfafman in the fourth inning, but it was the Rockets who came up with the first run an inning later.
Dalton Tinsely drew a two-out walk for Portland and then stole second base.
He headed toward third on a ground ball by Brad Benbow, and came all the way in to score as Decatur committed an error on the play.
The Rockets scored a second run without the benefit of a hit in the sixth inning.
In addition to his walk and run in the fifth, Tinsely added a bunt single in the seventh. Thomas McCowan had the only other Portland hit.
“Whoever scores first is probably going to have the upper hand, and that’s how it worked out,” said Miller, who was without leadoff hitter Heath Williams because of sprained ankle. “Tinsely did little things. Those are little things that really gave us offense when there was no offense. … That was huge.”
Wilburn got the win as he struck out 10 batters in his six innings of work.
The victory improved Portland to 6-4 on the season overall and 5-1 in the Heartland League. It has won five of its last six games since opening 1-3 against the Richmond RiverRats and Grand Lake Mariners.
Decatur’s best chance to score came in the sixth inning when No. 9 hitter Nate Kipfer led off with a double to left field. He advance to third base on a ground out by Nick Hall, but a base-running gaffe took the Dirty Birds out of the inning.
Pfafman hit a bouncer to third baseman Thomas McCowan, who bobbled the ball. But Kipfer broke for home plate and was thrown out easily when McCowan recovered the ball, leaving Decatur with a runner on first and two outs instead of runners on first and third with just one out.
“That was a mental mistake, and Nate doesn’t make a lot of those but he did make one there,” said Dirty Birds manager Victor Canales. “Did it hurt us? Yeah. I think we could have scored some runs there and put some pressure on them.
“We’ll live to fight another day. We’ve got at least three more shots at these guys, and more than likely five or six. … I feel pretty confident that the (Heartland League) championship game is going to come down to these two teams.
“The class of Indiana baseball is right here on the field.”
Decatur (6-6) also had a runner on third base in the fifth inning, and runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth. Pfafman, Kipfer and Hall finished with one hit apiece.[[In-content Ad]]