Offense late in loss

CELINA, Ohio — The Rockets had a better time putting the bat on the ball against the Mariners.

The offense strung together plays a tad too late.

The Portland Rockets scored four runs late but couldn’t overcome an early deficit in an 8-5 loss to the Grand Lake Mariners on Wednesday at Montgomery Field.

“Hitting is timing, and we’re starting to find our way even though they still have … they have guys that can pitch at a big level,” said Portland manager Randy Miller, whose team didn’t manage a hit in a 10-0 loss to Grand Lake on Tuesday but out-hit the Mariners 11-10 a day later. “We can show we can compete. We are closing the gap. We’re starting to get our rhythm. When we pitch well, we compete well.”

Portland (2-2) trailed 8-1 after five innings before its offense really started to break through. Grand Lake reliever Jim Wilkerson had a clean fifth inning, but Zach Tanner didn’t let him retire his fourth straight batter. Tanner, who led the Rockets with 14 home runs last season, blasted a 3-2 pitch from Wilkerson over the fence in left-center field for a solo home run.

Mitch Waters — he had a single in the first inning to break up a streak of nine consecutive hitless innings for the Rockets — followed with a bloop single to right field. TJ Lindstrand, who ripped an RBI single in the first inning to put Portland out front 1-0, followed Tanner’s lead.

The Huntington University product launched the second pitch he saw from Wilkerson to dead center field for a two-run homer to make it 8-4.

“Towering shots,” Miller said. It was Tanner’s third round-tripper of the year and Lindstrand’s first.

“A lot of times those catchers are drained,” Miller said of Lindstrand, who finished with two hits and three RBIs. “He charged one out. We got ourselves back in the game and we’re starting to feel good about ourselves again.”

The Rockets had a chance to trim the deficit even more. Kevin Sharp later reached on a two-out single, and Bill Geeslin — he started on the bump and took the loss — ripped a double to left field. Miller waved Sharp around third and he was thrown out at the plate for the final out of the inning with leadoff man Dalton Tinsley awaiting on deck.

“Coach got a little excited and sent a guy with two outs,” Miller said. “Tried to stretch the opportunity. It went to their favor, not ours.”

Grand Lake, which travels to Portland at 7 p.m. tonight looking to sweep the Rockets, had a 4-1 lead after the third inning and built on it during the fourth. Jackson Hobbs, a 2016 Fort Recovery High School graduate, made his Rocket debut and didn’t fare well against the Mariners. He gave up three consecutive hits to start his outing, including back-to-back doubles. Justin Mercer had an RBI double before Steven Fitzsimmons drove him in on a single. One out later, Pat Raiff hit an RBI double before swiping third base, and he eventually scored as Blake Buckman grounded out.

“He did a great job,” Grand Lake manager Chris O’Neill said. “Putting the ball hard in play, and when he got on base he became a base stealer. We’re going to give a lot of the guys a green light and when we’re going to play aggressive baseball. He really fits the mold of that.”

Hobbs pitched two innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits. After the shaky first inning of work, he induced a double play in the fifth before giving way to Zach Short, who tossed the final three innings for Portland.

Short struck out five, didn’t issue a walk or a hit in facing one over the minimum.

“He was stellar,” Miller said. “Coach should have gotten him in sooner. He’s an unknown commodity. We were told he was pretty good and by golly he was better than advertised.”