WALDORF, Md. – Ben Aklinski hit his 12th career grand slam to key a seven-run eighth inning and lead the High Point Rockers to a 9-5 win over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. The seven-run inning helped the Rockers overcome a 5-1 deficit.
With the win, the Rockers improve to 71-48 overall and 30-26 in the second half while the Blue Crabs fall to 63-56 and 27-29. The Rockers moved into a tie for second in the Atlantic League’s South Division, three games behind Gastonia.
The Blue Crabs got on the scoreboard in the second inning when Ethan Wilson doubled, moved to third on a single by Brett Barrera and scored when Jamari Baylor grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
Luis Gonzalez blasted a solo homer leading off the third to tie the game at 1-1. It was Gonzalez’s 19th homer of the year and extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 25 games.
The Blue Crabs bounced back with a pair of runs off High Point starter Fin Del Bonta-Smith in the fifth inning. Baylor and Giovanni Digiacomo each singled with Baylor scoring on a wild pitch and Digiacomo scoring on a double by Sam Dexter. SMD added two more in the sixth for a 5-1 lead.
After Shawn Semple went six innings and held the Rockers to one run while striking out four, he was relieved by Brandon McCabe (L, 5-4) to start the seventh. McCabe walked Aidan Brewer and D.J. Burt before Cody Wilson’s bunt to third turned into an E5 with Brewer scoring. Ian Yetsko lifted a fly ball to left and Baylor dropped for another error with Burt scoring to make it a 5-3 game. A walk to Gonzalez loaded the bases and Aklinski took advantage, hitting his 32nd homer of the season and his fourth grand slam of 2025 to put the Rockers up 8-5.
Aklinski now shares the club record for home runs in a season with Zander Wiel who hit 32 in 2023. It was Aklinski’s fourth grand slam of the season.
Evan Edwards followed with a solo blast of his own to give the Rockers a 9-5 advantage.
David Hess (W, 2-0) pitched 1.2 innings and allowed just one hit in earning the victory. Cam Cotter tossed a shutout inning in the eighth and Jameson McGrane struck out two in the ninth to secure the win.
Aklinski finished the night with four RBI while Edwards drove in two runs. Gonzalez scored three runs on a base hit and a pair of walks. Yetsko and Brewer each finished with two hits along with Aklinski and Edwards.
Game three of the six-game series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Thursday at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Rockers will send righty Erich Uelmen (5-4, 3.75) to the mound to face Southern Maryland righty Andrew Thurman (7-1, 4.78). Rocker fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.
NOTES: The Rockers made a number of roster moves before Wednesday’s game . . . High Point activated OF Cody Wilson from the injured list. He had been on the list since Aug. 13 . . . The Rockers also activated Yuhi Sako whom they signed on Aug. 31. Sako was with the Rockers in 2024 and made two starts, striking out 14 in 10.1 innings and pitching to a 1.74 ERA . . . RHP Andre Scrubb and Jake Gilbert were placed on the inactive list . . . The Rockers have not hit 13 grand slams as a team this season.
