Rockets end as regional runners-up

FORT WAYNE — The Rockets were riding high after taking the Carrington Red Tournament championship on July 21, but it wasn’t quite enough to secure a National Amatuer Baseball Federation title.

The Portland Rockets went 3-1 over the weekend to finish as the runners-up to the Fort Wayne Blues in the NABF regional tournament.

The Rockets opened up with a pair of victories on Friday, with wins over the Jasper Reds 7-2, and the Fort Wayne Jackers, 4-1. They then took down the Livonia Firebirds 5-2 in the semifinal before things started to unravel against the Blues for a 7-2 loss.

The only runs for Portland (20-15) came on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Pratt and a game-tying home run by Garrison Brege.

After the Rockets knotted things up at 2-2, they couldn’t hold on as Camden La Fuze gave up four runs – three of which were earned – in the sixth inning. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Fort Wayne before back-to-back singles and a wild pitch scored four runs.

The Blues added one more in the seventh inning to put the game away.

Portland didn’t struggle to find offense in the first three games of the tournament.

Dylan Brammer led the team with five RBIs, including a three-run home run against the Jackers and a pair of RBI hits against the Reds.

The Rockets got off to a hot start in the opener against the Reds. Portland scored the first three runs of the game. After giving up a pair in the fourth inning, the Rockets scored four in the bottom half to put the game out of reach.

Outside of Brammer’s third-inning blast against the Jackers, the Rockets scored on a single by Joel Kennedy in the fifth.

The Rockets came back from a 2-0 deficit against the Firebirds by netting a three-run inning that included home runs from Kade Muth and Brege. Two more crossed in the seventh on back-to-back singles by Peyton Smith and Kennedy.

Mitch Waters secured the win against the Reds by only allowing two earned runs over six innings pitched.

The winner of game No. 2 was Jared Holley, who went the distance for the Rockets and only gave up one run in the victory.

Brammer also went the distance in the third game, allowing two runs on eight hits for the three-run win.