HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Lancaster Barnstormers overcame a 5-4 deficit with a three-run eighth inning and went on to post a 7-5 win over the High Point Rockers on Tuesday night at Truist Point. The loss snapped High Point’s five-game winning streak.
High Point reliever Tyler Higgins came in for Bryce Hensley in the eighth with a 5-4 lead after Hensley had pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Rockers. Andretty Cordero started the inning with a double and moved to third on a single by Anthony Peroni. Ariel Sandoval then doubled to score Cordero and tie the game at 5-5. Peroni was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first. After Higgins struck out Anderson Feliz, Jacob Barfield singled to bring home Sandoval and give the Barnstormers a 6-5 lead. A double by former Rocker Chris Proctor scored Barfield for a 7-5 Lancaster advantage.
Lancaster started the game by scoring in the first when Cordero, the Atlantic League’s leading hitter, tripled with a man on to put the ‘Stormers in front 1-0. Proctor hit a sac fly in the top of the second to extend the lead to 2-0.
The Rockers tallied in the second on a double by Logan Morrison and an RBI triple from Michael Martinez to make it a 2-1 game. Lancaster extended its lead to 3-1 in the third on a single by Melvin Mercedes and an RBI single from Cordero.
The Rockers tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third when Lancaster starter Brooks Hall walked Logan Moore and Michael Russell to start the inning. Jerry Downs doubled off the wall in right to score both baserunners.
A solo homer by Sandoval leading off the fourth put Lancaster in front 4-3. High Point tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth when Logan Morrison singled, was sacrificed to second by Jay Gonzalez, moved to third on a groundout by Michael Martinez and scored on a wild pitch by Lancaster reliever Bret Clarke.
The Rockers took their final lead in the seventh when Ben Aklinski walked, moved to second on an infield single by Downs, and scored on an RBI single by Quincy Latimore.
The Rockers were led by Russell, Downs and Morrison who each had two hits. Cordero finished a home run shy of the cycle.
High Point and Lancaster will play the middle game of the three-game series on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. The Rockers will send knuckleballer Mickey Jannis (2-1, 1.93) to the mound to face Lancaster’s Oscar De La Cruz (8-3, 4.31 ERA). Jannis has allowed just three hits over his last 13 innings and has not yielded in run during that time.
NOTES: The Rockers released catcher Dakota Mulcay and re-signed catcher Logan Moore. Moore had played 45 games with Monclova of the Mexican Baseball League and hit .250 and had thrown out 15 of 23 attempted base stealers.
