LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nick Longhi and Zander Wiel each hit home runs on Sunday to lead the High Point Rockers to a 4-2 win over Lexington and a season-opening four-game sweep of the Legends at Legends Field.
The Rockers are now 4-0 for the first time in club history and will put that mark on the line when they open the home season on Tuesday night against the Charleston Dirty Birds.
Longhi led off the top of the fourth with an opposite field homer to right, marking his third consecutive game with a home run.
The Rockers put up three runs in the sixth inning. Zander Wiel hit a solo homer with one out to put High Point up 2-0. It was Wiel’s first homer of the year and his 62nd as a Rocker, extending his club record.
Longhi followed with a single before Lexington starter David Reckers (L, 0-1) walked Brian Parreira. A wild pitch moved the runners up a base before Jake Washer delivered an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. After the Legends brought in Joe Joe Rodriguez from the bullpen, he threw a wild pitch that allowed Parreira to score, extending the lead to 4-0.
High Point starter Jeremy Rhoades (W, 1-0) had a sterling outing, throwing five scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out six.
Neil Ramirez came on in the sixth inning and held the Legends scoreless through the seventh. In the eighth, Lexington’s Ryan Davis tripled before Payton Robertson singled to bring home Lexington’s first run. After stealing second, Robertson scored on a double by Matt Bottcher to make it a 4-2 Rockers lead. Rockers manager Jamie Keefe turned to the bullpen and Austin Ross who retired Brady Whalen on one pitch to end the threat.
High Point’s Jameson McGrane walked Ryan January, the lead-off hitter, and Tristian Pompey to start the bottom of the ninth. A grounder to Parreira at first led to Pompey being retired at second but left runners on the corners with one out. McGrane fanned Wilmin Candelario for the second out and then struck out Ryan Davis looking for the final out, giving McGrane his first save of the year.
The Rockers will have a day off on Monday and then open the home season at Truist Point on Tuesday, April 30 at 6:35 p.m. against the Charleston Dirty Birds. High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson will be joined by a pair of 100-year old World War II veterans in Frank Meyers and Jim “Tank” Deal in throwing out the first pitch.
NOTES: The Rockers’ club record for consecutive games with a home run is four set by Zander Wiel during the 2022 season . . . High Point is 4-0 to start the season for the first time in the club’s five-year history . . . Rockers rotation for the Charleston series is expected to be LHP Brandon Leibrandt on Tuesday followed by RHP Peter Solomon and RHP Kyle Barraclough.
