HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers managed just four hits in a 4-1 loss to Lancaster on Thursday night in front of a crowd of 2,012 at Truist Point.
The game was an opportunity for High Point manager Jamie Keefe to use his bullpen as six different pitchers saw action.
Lancaster opened the scoring when Chad Sedio hit a solo homer leading off the second off High Point starter Neil Ramirez (L, 1-1). The Barnstormers went up 3-0 when Trace Loehr was hit by a pitch by Jeremy Rhoades to start the third, moved to third on a single by Melvin Mercedes and scored when John Daly’s throw back to the infield rolled all the way to the third base dugout. Mercedes would score on an RBI single by Andretty Cordero.
Lancaster starter Brent Teller (W, 7-4) retired the first nine Rockers he faced until D.J. Burt led off the bottom of the fourth with a ground rule double to center. After a walk to Ryan Grotjohn, Shed Long, Jr. grounded into a 6-3 double play that moved Burt to third. Daikan Yoh then beat out an infield single that plated Burt and cut the Lancaster lead to 3-1.
Joe Johnson pitched a scoreless fourth inning and Taylor Guerrieri followed suit, putting the ‘Stormers down in the fifth while working around a hit and a walk. Austin Ross faced just six batters in retiring Lancaster in order in the sixth and seventh. He did allow a run in the eighth on a Chad Sedio double and an RBI single from Wilson Garcia.
The Rockers’ best opportunity to score came in the eighth when Lancaster reliever Nick Duron walked Ben Aklinski and D.J. Burt to open the inning. But Duron then struck out Grotjohn, Long, Jr. and Yoh in order to escape the jam.
Burt was the only Rocker with two hits on the night, both doubles. Sedio and Yeison Coca led Lancaster with two hits each.
The Rockers are now 51-29 on the season and 10-7 in the second half of play. Gastonia leads the Atlantic League South at 10-6, a half-game in front of High Point.
The Rockers will enjoy a rare off-day on Friday before starting a three-game series at Spire City on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.
