A Royal beating

As the Rockets played at home for the final time this season, they treated their fans to the same song and dance they have all year long.
Stellar pitching, hot bats and a couple notches in the win column.
Dan Bollenbacher threw a five-inning no-hitter, Justin?Marrero returned to mash three doubles and the Portland Rockets totaled 28 hits in earning a doubleheader sweep of the Whitko Royals on Sunday at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field.
“Proud year for Portland,” said Rocket manager Randy Miller, whose team won 11-0 and 14-3, both games lasting only five innings. “It is about tournament time and focus on baseball business.”
Portland, which won its final 11 games of the season and improves to 25-5, begins play in the National Amateur Baseball Federation regional tournament Thursday in Cincinnati. The format and schedule will be announced Wednesday.
Bollenbacher was his normal dominant self, tossing five innings of no-hit ball while striking out five and walking a pair.
After getting two quick outs to start the first game, he had difficulty getting out of the inning by allowing an error and a walk. It was the only trouble he faced for the afternoon though, as he induced a dribbler back to the mound for the final out of the frame.
“He pretty much silenced them and set the tone for the day,” Miller said. “He is a workhorse. He is an ace. He does that.
“We’re always good with him on the hill.”
Bollenbacher, a South Adams High School graduate, allowed only two baserunners for the remainder of the game — a hit batsman in the third inning and a walk in the fifth.
He was going to give way to the bullpen in the sixth, but the game never got that far. Portland’s offense scored five times in the bottom of the frame to notch the run-rule victory.
Dalton Tinsley, the Rockets’ leadoff man, had a double, a single and four RBIs, with Zach Tanner and Justin?Marrero each adding a pair of hits. Jagen Millspaugh and TJ Lindstrand each had a pair of RBIs, and Lindstrand reached base all three at bats and tallied three runs.
Portland jumped on the Royals (14-6) with two runs in the first inning on Millspaugh’s two-run single, then tacked on another in the second as Marrero one-hopped the fence in left center field.
Marrero, who hadn’t played for Portland since the season opener on May 28, and Tinsley both hit doubles to score three runs in the fourth inning to make it 6-0.
Mitch Waters, Alex Delk, Tanner and Lindstrand each had hits in the four-run fifth inning to give Bollenbacher his no-hitter and the Rockets the victory.
“We have good pieces,” said Miller. “We are putting them together for tournament play. We are going to be a force to be reckoned with, but we are going to have to battle some adversity along the way.”
In the second game, Garrett Scott was stellar on the mound too, scattering two hits over four innings while striking out three and walking one. He gave up one unearned run.
Portland’s offense backed him up as well, erasing the 1-0 deficit with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Bill Geeslin roped an RBI triple to left center and Tanner hit a sacrifice fly.
Tanner finished the day 5-for-6 with a double, three RBIs and three runs.
Prior to the bottom of the second inning, Miller asked his team for a home run. Kevin Sharp delivered two pitches later, hitting a solo shot, his fourth of the year, over the fence in left field for a 3-0 advantage.
The Rockets scored one in the third inning and three in the fourth for a 7-1 lead, until the Royals cut into the deficit with two runs in the fifth.
Dan Borchers came in to relieve Scott, and walked a batter and hit another with bases loaded to give the Royals a pair of runs.
But, Marrero and the Rockets put the game and the afternoon away with the seven-run home half of the fifth. Marrero batted twice, hitting a double and a single while driving in three runs. Ben Breymier also had a two-run double.
“We had a lot of hits,” Miller said. “Everyone has been doing their job pretty well.”