July 15, 2021 at 4:08 p.m.
Squandered chances
Portland can't capitalize on early chances in loss to Dirtbags
Squandered chances
The Rockets squandered offensive opportunities early on.
When they finally broke through it was already too late.
The Portland Rockets scored two late runs but their nine-run deficit was insurmountable as they lost to the Fort Wayne Dirtbags, 11-2, on Wednesday night at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field.
The loss dropped the Rockets to 6-15 on the season and prevented them from getting their first three-game winning streak of the year. The Dirtbags, who feature one former and two current Jay County High School players as well as the Patriots’ assistant coach, completed the season sweep of the Rockets as they also won 8-1 in 12 innings back on June 26.
As Portland trailed Fort Wayne by a 9-0 margin entering the eighth inning, Jared Holley and Jake Van Pelt both drew one-out walks. A double steal put them at third and second, respectively, to give Portland yet another prime scoring opportunity.
Following a called third strike for the second out, Max Moser, a 2018 JCHS graduate, hit a two-run single to center field, ending the Dirtbags’ potential shutout.
Moser finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk.
Fort Wayne (6-5) struck for two runs in the top of the ninth to put the score further out of reach.
With 2016 JCHS graduate Chandler Jacks on the mound for Portland, Fort Wayne got on the board when Beldon Glasgow hit a two-out, two-run single. The Dirtbags pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third as Bryce Ginder hit a double to score Patriot senior Crosby Heniser, who reached on a leadoff walk.
Two batters later Eli McDonald singled to score Ginder.
Jacks was chased from the game after 3 1/3 innings, having allowed five runs — four earned — on five hits. He struck out two and walked four.
Fort Wayne, which out-hit Portland 17-4, scored once off Chandler Locke in the sixth inning and added three runs off former Major League pitcher Keith Shepherd in the eighth. Zach Tanner tossed the ninth for Portland and allowed two more runs.
Portland, which had won back-to-back games for the first time this season prior to Wednesday’s loss, did not get a hit until the third inning. One frame later, the Rockets couldn’t capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity, and stranded two in scoring position again in the fifth. The Rockets left 10 runners on base.
Griffin Garwood, Caleb Richardson and Locke each had hits for the Rockets.
McDonald led the Dirtbags, who are coached by JCHS assistant Todd Farr, with a double and two singles.
Noah Arbuckle, a 2020 JCHS graduate, threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits. He struck out six and walked five in relief for Fort Wayne. At the plate he singled and knocked in a run.
Current Jay County senior Quinn Faulkner was 2-for-4, and Heniser was 1-for-3 with a walk.
When they finally broke through it was already too late.
The Portland Rockets scored two late runs but their nine-run deficit was insurmountable as they lost to the Fort Wayne Dirtbags, 11-2, on Wednesday night at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field.
The loss dropped the Rockets to 6-15 on the season and prevented them from getting their first three-game winning streak of the year. The Dirtbags, who feature one former and two current Jay County High School players as well as the Patriots’ assistant coach, completed the season sweep of the Rockets as they also won 8-1 in 12 innings back on June 26.
As Portland trailed Fort Wayne by a 9-0 margin entering the eighth inning, Jared Holley and Jake Van Pelt both drew one-out walks. A double steal put them at third and second, respectively, to give Portland yet another prime scoring opportunity.
Following a called third strike for the second out, Max Moser, a 2018 JCHS graduate, hit a two-run single to center field, ending the Dirtbags’ potential shutout.
Moser finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk.
Fort Wayne (6-5) struck for two runs in the top of the ninth to put the score further out of reach.
With 2016 JCHS graduate Chandler Jacks on the mound for Portland, Fort Wayne got on the board when Beldon Glasgow hit a two-out, two-run single. The Dirtbags pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third as Bryce Ginder hit a double to score Patriot senior Crosby Heniser, who reached on a leadoff walk.
Two batters later Eli McDonald singled to score Ginder.
Jacks was chased from the game after 3 1/3 innings, having allowed five runs — four earned — on five hits. He struck out two and walked four.
Fort Wayne, which out-hit Portland 17-4, scored once off Chandler Locke in the sixth inning and added three runs off former Major League pitcher Keith Shepherd in the eighth. Zach Tanner tossed the ninth for Portland and allowed two more runs.
Portland, which had won back-to-back games for the first time this season prior to Wednesday’s loss, did not get a hit until the third inning. One frame later, the Rockets couldn’t capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity, and stranded two in scoring position again in the fifth. The Rockets left 10 runners on base.
Griffin Garwood, Caleb Richardson and Locke each had hits for the Rockets.
McDonald led the Dirtbags, who are coached by JCHS assistant Todd Farr, with a double and two singles.
Noah Arbuckle, a 2020 JCHS graduate, threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits. He struck out six and walked five in relief for Fort Wayne. At the plate he singled and knocked in a run.
Current Jay County senior Quinn Faulkner was 2-for-4, and Heniser was 1-for-3 with a walk.
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