Rockets split doubleheader with Blues

The Rockets walked it off to take game one.

They couldn’t recreate the magic in game two.

The Portland Rockets put together a late rally for a come-from-behind victory in the first game of a doubleheader and an early deficit was too much to overcome in game two as they split a twin bill with the Fort Wayne Blues on Sunday at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field.

The Rockets are now 2-5 on the year.

Trailing 2-0 after four innings of game one, Portland cut the deficit in half on a Zeth Tanner solo home run. His older brother Zach Tanner tied the score an inning later with an RBI single.

With two on and two out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Elias Inskeep hit an opposite-field liner to right field to drive in the game-winning run.

Fort Wayne opened game two with four runs in the first inning before Portland got one back in the top of the third inning. The Blues responded, however, with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame.

The Rockets got within striking distance with a three-run fifth inning, but weren’t able to finish the rally.

Dustin Lewis finished with a double and three singles on the day, and Zach Tanner added a double and an RBI single in game two for a three-hit day. Carsten White collected two hits, and Inskeep added a two-run triple in the second game.



Inman wins title

A pair of victories Friday gave Inman U-Loc the regular season championship of Portland Junior League’s Willie Mays division.

It defeated Lions Club in a doubleheader, 11-1 and 10-9, to finish 10-1-1 on the year.

Grant Wendel led Inman with two triples, a single and five runs, and Freddie Lingo finished his day with three singles. Carter Hartman doubled and singled, and Nick Laux contributed two singles.

Alex Miller paced Lions Club with two doubles, four singles and four runs. Cole Carpenter collected a double and two singles, and Kevin Dues also had a pair of singles.