Bats come alive as Rockets sweep Bandits

The Rockets had their first three doubleheaders canceled because of weather.

The offense made up for lost time, and the Bandits were the victims.

The Portland Rockets blasted five home runs Sunday, opening their 2017 campaign with a doubleheader sweep of the Indianapolis Bandits at Runkle-Miller Field.

Portland (2-0) won 6-1 in the first game, and pounded the Bandits to the tune of 14-0 in five innings in game two.

Coldwater, Ohio, product Bill Geeslin hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning of game one. Leadoff man Dalton Tinsley smacked two triples.

South Adams High School graduate Dan Bollenbacher notched the win in the opener. He struck out eight in four shutout innings. Max Habegger, a Carmel Greyhound graduate, fanned five in three frames of relief of Bollenbacher.

Zach Tanner hit a pair of homers in the second game, including a blast with the bases loaded. Tanner, who played for Wright State and the Frontier Greys of the Independent League, led the Rockets with 14 home runs a year ago.

Tinsley got in on the rout with his first round-tripper of the year.

Mitch Waters and Colin Affolder both had two hits. Coldwater native Kyle McKibben had two hits, including a home run, in his Rocket debut.

Portland returns to action this week with three games in as many days against the Grand Lake Mariners. They square off at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Coldwater with hometown player Derek Thobe slated to start for the Rockets. Portland travels to Celina at 7 p.m. Wednesday and the Mariners make the trek to Runkle-Miller Field for a 7 p.m. start on Thursday.