High Point, NC- The High Point rockers rode a four-run third inning to victory, toppling the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes 9-4 Wednesday night at Truist Point.
The Genomes opened up the scoring on a RBI groundout by outfielder Anderson Miller in the top of the second off High Point starter Liam O’Sullivan (W, 1-3), but the Rockers would bounce right back on a run-scoring triple by catcher Mike Gulino.
The triple was his third of the year, tying Long Island’s Joe DeCarlo for most triples this season by an ALPB catcher.
In the third, the Rockers (8-17, 47-43) exploded for four runs off Genomes starter Max Povse (L, 4-9). With two outs in the inning, Povse walked Zander Wiel, before Logan Morrison notched his second triple of the season to give High Point the lead for good, 2-1.
Tyler Ladendorf would follow Morrison with a double, making it 3-1 and, following a walk, Jay Gonzalez would drive in two more with a double of his own.
Down 5-1, the Genomes (13-13, 47-43) plated a pair of runs in the fourth but the Rockers managed to stay one step ahead, countering with a single by Giovanny Alfonzo in the fifth.
Jerry Downs launched an opposite-field home run in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach, as Junior Rincon and Gabriel Castellanos combined to allow just a single Wild Health run over four innings of work.
Downs paced the Rockers offensively, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, while Gonzalez contributed a pair of hits, a pair of RBI, and a stolen base (his 10th this season, becoming the third Rocker to reach double digits).
With the win, the Rockers moved back into a tie with the Genomes for the Wild Card position in the Atlantic League postseason race with still 41 games remaining.
The series concludes tomorrow at Truist Point with a 6:35 first pitch on Thirsty Thursday.
The Rockers’ Ivan Pineyro will look to become the first Rockers pitcher to notch five victories tomorrow evening.
