Rockets walk past Geneva (06/02/05)

PORTLAND — The Portland Rockets didn’t so much out-hit the Geneva Cardinals Wednesday night as they out-walked them.

The Rockets, hosting their neighbors to the north in the first game of the newly formed Hoosier Crossroads League, took advantage of seven free passes in a 5-1 victory over Geneva. Four of the five Portland runs were scored by batters who walked.

“When you play with a wood bat, you’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity,” said Rockets coach Randy Miller, whose team finished with five hits compared to Geneva’s four. “We still left a lot of guys on third base.”

While Portland (5-0) did strand nine in all, including runners on third base in the second, sixth and eighth innings, it got on the board early after No. 2 and 3 hitters Phil Bruns and Kyle Dygert drew walks in the first inning. Bruns came in to score when Cardinals shortstop Landon Story couldn’t come up with a line drive hit by Matt LeMaster.

The Rockets increased the lead in the second as each of their first four batters reached base. Jay County graduate Mitch Waters led off with a single to center field, and Brandon Cooley and Matt Gard followed with consecutive walks to chase pitcher Brian Reid from the game after just one-plus innings of work.

Adam Childs gave reliever Dan Fensler a rude greeting, smashing a two-run single to right-center field.

Portland added two more runs in the seventh inning as Luther Selby and Ryan Rammel each walked, and Keith Benbow delivered a two-out, two-run single to left.

For Geneva (1-3), the necessity to pull Reid so early in the game hurt its chances at victory.

“I’m not expected to pitch, ever,” said Cardinals player/manager Victor Canales, who allowed two runs over the final two innings. “We’re still working into our lineup. It’s going to take us a little bit. We don’t have the experience that they have, but it’ll come around.”

It was a different story for the Rockets, who used four pitchers in the game and 20 players in all.

Jimmy Linder started and allowed just a hit and a walk over five innings to earn the win. He struck out five batters.

Chad Casey gave up a hit while striking out four in two scoreless innings, and Nick Pfeffenbarger allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth. Josh Black allowed the lone Geneva run when Sean Cook came up with a two-out, RBI double to left field, the only extra-base hit of the game, to score Joe Ottenweiler in the ninth.

“I think our pitching overmatched their offense,” said Miller. “We too had problems with the bats, but we felt pretty much in control.”

Geneva missed its best chance at a rally when Chris Anderson and Ryan Bedwell got on base to start the sixth inning. Anderson, who had half of the Cardinals’ hits, singled, and Bedwell was hit by a pitch, but Casey struck out Danner Partridge and then got Billy Craig to pop out to Rammel at first base.

Canales drew a two-out walk to load the bases, but Casey struck out Ottenweiler to end the threat.

“That’s just timely hitting — people getting used to their swings again,” said Canales, whose team is hitting .132 with only Anderson (.400) above .290. “We just need time.”

The Rockets got their timely hitting from Childs and Benbow, each of whom finished with a pair of RBIs. Benbow singled in his only at bat and also scored a run, and Waters also finished with a hit and a run.

Reid took the loss for Geneva, allowing three runs — two earned — on one hit and four walks.[[In-content Ad]]