GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers started this season with eight players with Major League playing experience on the roster. On Sunday, the Rockers relied on two players who started the 2025 season playing college baseball to beat the Gastonia Ghost Peppers 7-6 at CaroMont Health Park.
Recent Centenary University graduate Sam Castillo held the Ghost Peppers to one hit over three innings of relief work to earn the win in his first professional appearance. Castillo signed with the Rockers prior to Sunday’s game. And former Lenoir-Rhyne outfielder Michael Logan collected his first two professional hits and made a game-saving catch in center field to preserve the Rockers’ 41st win of the season.
The win wraps up the first half of the Atlantic League season with the Rockers having won the South Division title for the second time in three years. High Point’s 41 wins ties the club mark for wins in a half with the 2019 and 2023 teams. The Rockers won the first half title by five games over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.
Knowing that Sunday’s game would be a piecemeal collection of relievers, the Rockers signed Castillo (W, 1-0) for Sunday’s game only. The recent college grad has a job interview in Pennsylvania on Monday morning.
“Sammy did what he needed to do,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “He knew he had seven guys behind him who would back him up.”
Castillo went three innings, allowed just one hit while walking four and striking out two. He pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh to keep the Rockers in control at 7-6.
Castillo came into the game in the fifth inning and allowed a run that put Gastonia up 6-4. But from that point forward, the soft-throwing left-hander did not allow a hit over his final two innings while the Rockers came from behind to take a 7-6 lead.
Trailing 6-4, High Point regained the lead with three runs in the top of the seventh off Gastonia reliever Cory Thompson (L, 1-2). Max Viera lined a double into the rightfield corner to score two and Alex Dickerson followed with a single that brought Viera home for a 7-6 Rockers lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Logan preserved High Point’s 7-6 lead by leaping above the wall in centerfield to bring back what would have been a game-tying home run from Justin Wylie.
“Michael had a helluva game,” said Keefe. “He made one of the best catches I’ve seen in center field and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Stevie Branche put the Ghost Peppers down in order in the eighth and Jameson McGrane earned his fourth save of the season, working around a one-out double by Narciso Crook, to preserve the win.
Gastonia took a 1-0 lead in the first when Ethan Skender singled, moved to second on a single by Cole Roederer and stole third before scoring on a single by Brian O’Grady.
Luis Gonzalez homered off Gastonia starter Ljay Newsome with Logan aboard in the top of the third off Ljay Newsome to give High Point a 2-1 lead.
The Ghost Peppers answered with four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-2 lead. Wylie drove in one run on an infield groundout and Eric De La Rosa hit a bases-loaded double off reliever Mike Esposito to plate three runs.
In the top of the fifth, Newsome allowed singles to Braxton Davidson and Isaiah Mirabal with a walk to Luis Gonzalez to load the bases. Max Viera lined a single to left to score a pair and pull the Rockers within a run at 5-4.
Viera drove in four runs for the Rockers on Sunday with a pair of hits. Gonzalez and Logan each added a pair of hits. Roederer had three safeties for the Ghost Peppers.
The Rockers will have an off day on Monday and begin the second half of the Atlantic League season on Tuesday when they host North Division first half chamion York at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.
NOTES: Michael Logan earned his first two professional hits with a line drive single to right in the third inning and a single up the middle in the seventh . . . Sam Castillo pitched four seasons at NCAA Division III Centenary in New Jersey. Castillo was 1-4 this past season with a 4.89 ERA after seeing limited action his first three years.
