Portland ends its scoreboard curse

Since the shiny new scoreboard was installed July 2, the Rockets hadn’t won at home.

The curse has been lifted.

The Portland Rockets scored six runs in the sixth inning and held off a late rally Friday to beat the Northeast Kekionga 11-10 at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field.

The victory snapped a three-game home losing streak since debuting the new scoreboard. Prior to its installation the Rockets (10-10) were 8-0 on their home field.

After falling behind 7-5 in the top of the fifth inning, five consecutive walks and a bases-clearing triple by Justin Greene put Portland out front, 11-7.

The Kekionga, the summer-league team of Indiana Tech, scored runs in each of the next three innings before Cody Krumlauf had a perfect ninth inning to get the save.

Chase Ruiz was credited with the win in relief of starter Derek Thobe.

Northeast Kekionga opened the contest with a run in each of the first two frames, only to have the deficit vanish thanks to an RBI double from Tristen Becker and a Zeth Tanner sacrifice fly.

In the third, an errant pickoff attempt allowed the Kekionga to take the 3-2 lead, and Jarrett Gram drove in a run on a double to make it 4-2.

Once again, the advantage was short-lived, as Portland came storming back with four straight one-out singles. Zach Tanner, Malave Bettinger and Becker all had RBIs in the three-run frame.

Colin Landrum drew a leadoff walk for the Kekionga in the fifth. He notched consecutive stolen bases and scored on another wild pickoff attempt. After a Zach Green two-out walk, Gram hit a two-run homer to right field on a 0-1 pitch from Thobe as Portland fell behind yet again.

Thobe allowed seven runs — six earned — on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked a half dozen.

Portland hosts the Summit City Sluggers for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Sunday.