Rockets 2-0 in pool play

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — The Rockets had just a single victory in the 2012 world series.

They won twice as many games Thursday.

The Portland Rockets jumped out to early leads twice, survived a late scare in the first game and kept the undefeated defending champions at bay in the second as they opened the National Amateur Baseball Federation World Series with a pair of pool-play victories.

“These guys are gamey,” Portland manager Randy Miller, whose team defeated the Beecher Muskies 5-3 and the Brooklyn Sports Fever 4-1 and closes pool play at 7 p.m. tonight, said of his team. “They are knocking people down. They are playing championship baseball. It is a beautiful thing to watch.”

With Portland leading the Muskies 5-1 heading into the top of the eighth inning, pitcher Derek Thobe surrendered a two-run double as Beecher cut the deficit in half.

Reliever Jimmy West entered to pitch the ninth inning in an attempt to get the save. He allowed a leadoff single before consecutive fly outs. Two more singles loaded the bases, putting the potential tying run at second and the go-ahead at first.

West got Marty Coyle to pop out to Dalton Tinsley in center field to notch the save.

“Their big stud up, just hit a towering fly ball,” Miller said. “It deserved to go out of the park (but) Dalton Tinsley hauled it in.”

Zach Tanner singled in the first inning to score Brandon Reamon as Portland took a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Alex Delk ripped a run-scoring single, and Dustin Lewis brought around another run on a groundout to push the Rocket advantage to 3-0.

A sacrifice fly from Tinsley in the fourth made it 4-0 before Beecher plated a run in the fifth. Another Lewis RBI — he was 2-for-4 and drove in two runs — made it 5-1 before the Muskies mounted their rally. Collin Affolder led the way with three hits, and Reamon chipped in two.

Thobe got the win, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out two and walking one in eight innings.

In the second game of the day, Cody Krumlauf, Mitch Waters and Tanner each drove in a run to help Portland jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Three innings later, Lewis scored to make it 4-0 Portland over the defending champs.

“We had scoring opportunities deluxe, but we didn’t really cash in,” Miller said. “Had a buffer in the way of a four-run lead.”

In the home half of the inning, Max Habegger walked the leadoff man, and three batters later he came around to score on a sacrifice fly.

Habegger allowed one run on four hits while striking out a pair and walking three in 8 1/3 innings. West recorded the final two outs for his second save of the day.

Krumlauf, Reamon and Lewis all hit doubles as Portland racked up nine hits.

But Miller was most pleased with his pitching.

“The fact that they were so good and we beat them, that spoke volumes to me,” Miller said. Brooklyn was 23-0 entering its matchup with Portland. “Cannot underestimate the effect Max Habegger had. He was pumped. He was excited. He was a competitor. He was a gamer. He was a champion today.”

Portland, which is the only 2-0 team in its pool, meets host Battle Creek Merchants in the final game of pool play tonight with Alex Delk as the projected starter. The Merchants are 0-2 in the tournament.

The top two teams in each pool and two wild cards advance to an eight-team, single-elimination tournament. Portland is all but guaranteed to be one of the final eight teams.

Quarterfinal games will be played at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The semifinals will be at 6:30 p.m. with the champion to be crowned at noon Sunday.