WALDORF, Md. – Southern Maryland’s Brett Barrera hit a walk-off grand slam to lead the Blue Crabs to a 12-9 win over the High Point Rockers in 10 innings on Thursday night.

The slam capped a back-and-forth contest that featured five lead changes and some late-game heroics from the Rockers.

Trailing 7-5 after seven innings, Luis Gonzalez hit his 20^th homer of the season in the top of the eighth to pull the Rockers within one. In the top of the ninth, facing SMD closer Endrys Briceno, Evan Edwards belted a homer to left to tie the game at 7-7. It marked the first earned run allowed by Briceno in 13 outings.

The Rockers scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10^th to take a 9-7 lead as Gonzalez doubled home the ghost runner, D.J. Burt, before Drew Mendoza hit a ground-rule double to right to give High Point a two-run lead.

But Southern Maryland rallied for five runs in the bottom of the 10^th against Rockers closer Jameson McGrane (L, 1-1). Jackson Loftin doubled home the ghost runner and the Crabs drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and set the table for Barrera’s game-winner.

Gonzalez did more than his part, driving in a run in each of his final three at-bats of the game. He singled home a run in the sixth, hit a solo homer in the eighth and then doubled home another run in the 10^th. Gonzalez finished the night three-for-five with three runs scored and three RBI.

Gonzalez had three hits to extend his team-leading hitting streak to 12 games. He has reached base in 26 straight games.

The Rockers remain tied for the best record in the Atlantic League along with York at 71-49. High Point slipped back to third in the second half South Division race but the Rockers have already clinched a playoff spot by virtue of their first half championship.

Game four of the series takes place at 6:35 p.m. Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Rockers will send LHP Ben Wereski (3-4, 4.09) to the mound to face a yet-to-be-named Southern Maryland starter. Rockers fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

 

NOTES: The Rockers activated C Isaiah Mirabal from the inactive list prior to the game and placed INF Max Viera on the inactive list. Viera, whose mother is from England, will be playing  for Great Britain in the European Baseball Championship which is scheduled from September 20-27 in Rotterdam, Milan and Antwerp. Great Britain is grouped with France, Israel and The Netherlands and will open play Sept. 21 against Israel . . . Yuhi Sako, who pitched for the Rockers in 2024 and re-joined the team on August 31, made his debut on Thursday and allowed three hits and three runs in his one inning of work . . . Relievers Scott Rouse, Zach Vennaro and Kyle Halbohn each threw one shutout inning.

WALDORF, Md. – Ben Aklinski hit his 12^th 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 19^th 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 32^nd 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.

WALDORF, Md. – The High Point Rockers dropped the first game of a six-game series at Southern Maryland on Tuesday night, falling 6-1 at Regency Furniture Stadium.

The Southern Maryland pitching staff held the Rockers to just four hits on the night while striking out 12.

With the loss, the Rockers fall to 70-48 overall and 29-26 in the second half while the Blue Crabs improve to 63-55 and 27-28. The Rockers fell to third place in the Atlantic League’s second half standings, four games behind Gastonia and one game behind second place Lexington.

Hits were hard to come by for the Rockers in the early going. Luis Gonzalez led off the game with a single to left to extend his consecutive games on-base streak to 25. Ben Aklinski followed with a single and both runners moved into scoring position. Southern Maryland starter Jason Blanchard was able to wiggle out of the inning without allowing a run.

But High Point would not collect another hit until the sixth inning when they were down 2-0.

The Blue Crabs tallied a single run in the third when High Point starter Jake Gilber issued a two-out walk to catcher Lyle Lin. After singles by Jackson Loftin and Pearce Howard loaded the bases, Lin scored on a wild pitch before Gilbert was able to strike out Ethan Wilson to limit the damage.

SMD added another run in the fourth on a lead-off double by Brett Barrera and a sac fly off Lin.

The Rockers put their first run on the board in the top of the sixth when Alex Dickerson drew a lead-off walk, was sacrificed to second by Drew Mendoza and then scored on a douible off the wall in right by Evan Edwards to make it a 2-1 contest.

The Blue Crabs broke the game open with four runs on just a single base hit in the bottom of the sixth. Rockers reliever Zach Vennaro walked four in the inning, including two with the bases loaded, as Southern Maryland surged ahead 6-1.

Daniel Blair pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the Rockers, setting down all six batters he faced.

Jalen Miller (W, 9-6) earned the victory with two innings of relief of starter Jason Blanchard. Jackson Loftin and Brett Barrera each had a pair of hits for SMD.

Game two of the six-game series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Wednesday at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Rockers will send righty Fin Del Bonta-Smith (2-3, 3.42) to the mound to face Southern Maryland righty Shawn Semple (6-7, 4.06). Rocker fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

NOTES: The Rockers placed RHP Gabe Klobosits on the 7-day injured list effective Sept. 7. He will be eligible to come off on Sept. 14.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Long Island Ducks scored three runs in the top of the 11^th inning to take a 10-7 decision from the High Point Rockers on Saturday night at Truist Point.

Tied at 7-7 after nine innings, the Rockers held the Ducks scoreless in the top of the tenth then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half but were unable to push across the deciding run.

In the top of the 11^th, the Ducks scored three runs on a pair of walks and a dropped fly ball along with Troy Viola’s RBI single. The Rockers were unable to answer in the bottom of the 11^th.

The game started as a recreation of home run derby. Long Island’s Leobaldo Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the Ducks the early lead. The Rockers responded in the bottom of the first when Evan Edwards hit a three-run bomb for a 3-2 Rockers lead. Luis Gonzalez extended the High Point lead to 5-2 with a two-run blast in the bottom of the second.

Long Island knotted the game in the third with three runs off High Point starter Jonah Scolaro. Cody Thomas hit a sac fly and Viola and River Town contributed run-scoring singles.

Long Island went ahead 7-5 in the sixth on a two-run single by Kole Kaler. High Point forged a 7-7 tie in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run double by Luke Napleton.

Cam Cotter (L, 0-2) pitched the final two innings for the Rockers and allowed three runs, all unearned while walking two and striking out one. Long Island’s Ramon Santos (W, 4-0) held the Rockers to one hit over his two innings of work while fanning three. Braydon Nelson (S, 6) put the Rockers down in order in the 11^th for the save.

The Rockers record falls to 69-77 on the season and 28-25 in the second half. Long Island is now 67-49 overall and 32-21 in the second half.

The Rockers remain three games behind Gastonia (31-22) with 10 games left to play in the regular season. High Point, by virtue of its first half South Division championship, has already secured its berth in the Atlantic League postseason.

The final game of the series is slated for a 4:05 p.m. first pitch on Sunday at Truist Point. The Rockers will send lefty Ben Wereski (2-4, 4.61) to the mound to face Long Island’s Tim Melville (5+4, 5.12). Rocker fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app. The Rockers will distribute 2025 team photos to fans coming through the gates and players will be available for autographs. The gates will open early on Sunday at 3 p.m.

 

NOTES: The start of the game was delayed 1:25 due to storms in the area . . . The Rockers had not walked a batter since the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game vs. Southern Maryland , , , The streak ended at 34 consecutive innings when Jonah Scolaro walked Kole Kaler in the third inning . . . The loss snapped High Point’s 10-game winning streak over the Ducks that dated back to a 3-1 Long Island win at Truist Point on June 6, 2024 . . . High Point and York are tied for the best overall record in the ALPB at 69-47.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers took an early 3-0 lead and held on to defeat the Long Island Ducks 3-2 on Friday night at Truist Point. D.J. Burt singled home a pair of runs and Rockers reliever Jameson McGrane set a club record with his 32^nd career save.

The win raises the Rockers record to 69-76 on the season and 28-24 in the second half. Long Island is now 66-49 overall and 31-21 in the second half. The Rockers entered the day three games behind Gastonia which hosted Southern Maryland on Friday night.

Fin Del Bonta-Smith (W, 2-3) went seven innings and held the Ducks to two runs on six hits while walking none. Andre Scrubb made his Rockers debut and allowed a pair of hits in the eighth but escaped without allowing a run. McGrane struck out two in putting the Ducks down in order to earn his 15^th save of the year and the 32^nd of his High Point career. He passed the previous mark of 31 held by Ryan Dull.

The Rockers took a 2-0 lead in the first when Drew Mendoza and Alex Dickerso each singled off Ducks starter Ryan Sandberg (L, 5-5). With two outs, D.J. Burt lined a single to left to score both base runners.

High Point took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Aidan Brewer drew a one-out walk from Sandberg and scored from first on a double by Luis Gonzalez.

The Ducks slowly cut into the lead, using a lead-off homer from Aaron Antonini in the fifth and a solo shot from Taylor Kohlwey in the seventh to make it a 3-2 game.

Luis Gonzalez had a pair of doubles and extended his streak of consecutive games on-base to 21.Dickerson added two hits for the Rockers while Kole Kaler, Ivan Castillo and Aaron Antonini each had a pair of hits for the Ducks.

Game two of the three-game set is slated for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Saturday at Truist Point. The Rockers will send lefty Jonah Scolaro (9-5, 6.22) to the mound to face Long Island’s Juan Hillman (9-5, 4.80). Rocker fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

NOTES: The Rockers achieved a milestone on Friday, completing their third consecutive game without issuing a walk . . . The Rockers haven’t walked a batter since the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game vs. Southern Maryland, marking 32 consecutive innings without allowing a walk . . . Long Island’s pitchers retired the final 13 High Point batters . . . The Rockers have now won 10 straight from the ducks dating back to Long Island’s 3-1 win at Truist Point on June 6, 2024.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Drew Mendoza drove in four runs to lead the High Point Rockers to a 7-5 win over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the final game of a three-game series at Truist Point. Mendoza had a two-run homer in the first and a two-run single in the fourth.

The Rockers improved to 68-46 overall and 27-24 in the second half. Gastonia maintained its three-game lead over High Point the South Division second half race. Southern Maryland fell to 61-53 overall and 25-26 in the second half.

Mendoza’s hitting supported High Point starter Erich Uelmen (W, 5-4) who went five innings and struck out seven without issuing a walk.

After Mendoza drove in the first two runs for the Rockers, High Point added two more in the third on a double by Luis Gonzalez, an RBI double from Ben Aklinski and a run-scoring single from Evan Edwards.

Southern Maryland countered in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs on RBI singles by Alejandro De Aza and Brett Barrera. High Point led 4-2 in fourth when D.J. Burt singled and Bryson Parks drew a walk off SMD starter Shawn Semple (L, 6-7) before Mendoza singled home both runners for a 6-2 advantage.

The Blue Crabs made it a 6-4 game in the sixth when Uelmen allowed a single to De Aza and a triple from Barrera. Barrera would score on a single from Jamari baylor.

The Rockers added an insurance run in the eighth when Luke Napleton was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a bases-loaded ground out by Gonzalez to put High Point ahead 7-4. The Blue Crabs made it 7-5 with Jackson Loftin’s solo homer in the ninth off James McGrane (S, 14).

Gonzalez and Mendoza each finished with two hits for the Rockers who were out-hit 12-9.

The Rockers will open a three-game home series with the Long Island Ducks on Friday, September 5 with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

The Rockers will send righty Fin Del Bonta-Smith (4-4, 3.49) to the mound to face Long Island’s Ryan Sandberg (5-4, 4.10). Rocker fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

Friday’s game marks the final Fireworks Friday of the season with a postgame fireworks celebration slated for immediately following the game.

NOTES: The game was delayed by rain for an hour and 12 minutes at the start of the game.