Rockets win two

Portland found gaps in the Kekionga defense on multiple occasions.
Rocket pitchers kept the damage to a minimum.
The Portland Rockets tallied 17 hits Saturday in a doubleheader sweep of Northeast Kekionga, Indiana Tech’s summer team.
“We played some situational at bats and worked them into our favor,” said Portland manager Randy Miller, whose team moved to 5-1 on the season. It was the first doubleheader sweep of the season for the Rockets, who split the opener May 24 with Taylor University. “Our goal is to get better every inning. For the most part we do a good job.”
A seven-run fifth inning in the first game gave the Rockets an 11-1 victory in five innings. The momentum carried over to game two as Portland struck for three runs in the first inning en route to a 9-3 victory.”
“Overall I thought our guys played hard,” said Kekionga coach Zach Hittle. “We kept on fighting and I’m happy that we battled through the last out.”
In game one, Coldwater native Billy Geeslin drove in three runs. With the bases loaded in the third inning, he grounded into a fielder’s choice, bringing home Dunkirk native Thomas McCowan to tie the game at one apiece. The Rockets added one more in the frame, and Geeslin drove in a pair in the fourth to put Portland up 4-1.
Then in the fifth, Northeast Kekionga pitcher Cameron Crooks was unable to record an out. Huntington University’s T.J. Lindstrand led off with a walk, and a double by Justin Seegers gave Portland runners at second and third.
Ryan Penley and 2014 Jay County High School graduate Kyle Selvey hit back-to-back RBI singles, McCowan drew his third walk of the game and Dalton Tinsley followed with a two-run double to right-center field. Chandler Ingle, a 2015 South Adams product, smacked a pinch-hit two-run single through the right side to put an end to the first game.
Muncie Southside graduate Tyler Reynolds got the win on the bump, scattering four hits and giving up one unearned run with three strikeouts and three walks.
“I felt pretty good,” said Reynolds, who started for the first time this season after making a relief appearance Wednesday. “Catcher (Lucas Hendee, a 2014 JCHS graduate) was putting down everything I wanted and we worked really well today.”
Selvey continued his hitting prowess in game two, coming up with a two-out, two-run single to shallow right field in the first inning.
“I wasn’t going to lose the battle,” said Selvey, who finished with three hits and four RBIs. “That’s what I told myself. I got up there, looked at the pitcher and said ‘You’re mine. I’m not losing.’”
With Portland up 3-1 in the third, Penley followed Selvey’s RBI single with a two-run liner down the right field line. Two batters later Tinsley hit a sacrifice fly to center to give the Rockets a 7-1 lead.
A two-run single by Justin Seegers in the fourth extended the Portland advantage to 9-1 before Kekionga scratched across one run in the fifth and another in the seventh.
Garrett Scott got the win in game two. He allowed two runs — one earned — on three hits while striking out three. James West, JCHS graduate Wesley Hibbard and Carson Cruea all pitched in relief.