Rockets fall in 12 innings

It's been a challenging season for the Rockets.

They had a chance Tuesday to give their home fans a walk-off win. They just were unable to find a way to move the final 90 feet.

The Portland Rockets had the potential game-winning run on third base with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. But that’s where it stayed as the game continued into the night with the Fort Wayne Dirtbags finally scoring seven times in the top of the 12th inning for an 8-1 victory.

Portland (4-12), which has lost five of its last six, got a lead-off single from Chris Krystofiak in the bottom of the ninth inning to set the stage for what they had hoped would be a celebration at Portland Memorial Park’s Runkle-Miller Field. Arturo Casas followed with a bunt single to put runners on first and second bases.

Then things started to go awry.

Noah Collins tried for a sacrifice bunt to move up both runners, but instead the ball went right back to pitcher Zach White who threw to third to cut down Krystofiak. Still, the Rockets seemed to be in good shape when Casas and Collins advanced to third and second, respectively, on a passed ball.

But the Dirtbags were able to keep Casas at third on a grounder from Kasey Henderson, and then Jake VanPelt hit a grounder to third baseman Dominic Deisler to end the threat and send the game into extra innings.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the 12th that Fort Wayne finally broke through, with Cameron Miller starting the frame with a single.

Miller hustled around toward third on a single by Zach Mannies, and the throw from the outfield sailed high and into the Rockets’ dugout. With the ball going out of play, Miller was awarded home plate for the lead run and Mannies went to third.

It unraveled from there for Portland as the Dirtbags pushed home six more runs to put the game out of reach.

Portland, which will be back home again at 7 p.m. Friday against the Fort Wayne Blues, got its only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Van Pelt hit a one-out double to left field, advanced to third base on a passed ball and scored on a Peyton Smith double to left.

The Dirtbags evened the score on the top of the seventh inning with help from an error by the home team.

Smith was the only Rocket to record multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with their lone RBI. Other hits came from Rene Casas, Rene Casas, Van Pelt, Henderson and Krystofiak.

The loss in relief went to Smith, who tossed four scoreless innings before the game got away from him in the top of the 12th.

Mannies finished 4-for-7 with a run and an RBI to lead Fort Wayne.