Streak hits 11

The Portland Rockets have turned what was a .500 season into a banner campaign.

With four more wins this weekend - 5-0 and 5-2 over the Warsaw Indians and 11-0 and 11-1 over Fort Wayne Whetstone - the Rockets extended their record to 29-10. They can achieve back-to-back 30-win seasons when they travel Tuesday to Fort Wayne to play Crumback.

After opening 9-8 in its first 17 games, Portland has won 20 of its last 22.

Jensen Painter started a dominant weekend of pitching as he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning Saturday against Warsaw. He finished with a two-hit shutout.

The game was a scoreless tie before Heath Williams, a Jay County High School graduate, led off the sixth with a triple to right field. He scored on Cameron Branock's single, and doubles from Josh Ludy (JCHS) and Painter completed the inning.

South Adams graduate Daniel Bollenbacher earned the win in game two as he tossed four scoreless innings while striking out six and allowing just one hit. He kept the game tied at two until the Rockets finally found their offense in the ninth inning.

Williams again started the rally, this time with a walk, and then stole second and advanced to third on a Branock bunt. Ludy singled home Williams to put Portland on top, and Riley Muhlenkamp and Ryan Shell also added RBI singles en route to the 5-2 win.

Ludy added a three-run home run in Sunday's victories, finishing the weekend with seven hits and six RBIs. Muhlenkamp and Shell each had six hits, and Williams, Branock, Painter and Tyler Shroeder added four apiece.

Ethan Tribolet, Bill Geeslin, Nick Bruns, Tyler Mills and Josh Shatto (JCHS) all pitched in the wins Sunday.[[In-content Ad]]