LANCASTER, Pa. – Lancaster’s Oscar De La Cruz tossed a four-hit complete game to lead the Barnstormers to a 6-1 win over the High Point Rockers on Friday night at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The win gave the Barnstormers a three-game sweep of the best-of-five Atlantic League Championship Series.

The win marks Lancaster’s third ALPB Championship as the Barnstormers also won in 2006 and 2014.

“Oscar threw the ball really well tonight and we couldn’t do much against him,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “They had a heckuva year and proved they were the best team in the league this season. But Craig Stem threw the ball really well and kept us in the game.”

High Point’s only run came on a solo homer by Tyler Ladendorf in the second inning.

De La Cruz threw a complete game, allowed the Rockers just four hits and struck out eight while not issuing a walk.

Lancaster scored three runs in the first, using a walk, a single and an infield throwing error by the Rockers.  Shawon Dunston scored on the error before Trayvon Robinson doubled home a run and Jacob Barfield added an RBI single. Robinson added a solo homer in the sixth for the ‘Stormers.

High Point starter Craig Stem went 5.1 innings and allowed nine hits and six runs, though four of the runs were unearned.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Lancaster Barnstormers scored seven times in the seventh inning to erase a 6-2 deficit and went on to post an 11-6 win over the High Point Rockers in Game 2 of the Atlantic League Championship Series on Wednesday at Truist Point.

The loss puts the Rockers at a 2-0 deficit in the best of five series. After a travel day on Thursday, High Point will play at Lancaster on Friday night at 6:30. The series will continue with games on Saturday and Sunday if needed.

The Rockers were leading 6-2 after the sixth, thanks to back-to-back homers by Tyler Ladendorf and Michael Martinez in the fourths and three consecutive RBI singles in the sixth.

But the roof fell in on the Rockers in the seventh. Liam O’Sullivan had entered the game in the second inning after High Point starter Mitch Atkins left in the second with the Rockers leading 1-0. O’Sullivan let an inherited runner score as Lancaster tied the game at 1-1. But O’Sullivan kept the Barnstormers scoreless through the third and fourth innings and allowed a run in the fifth when Melvin Mercedes led off with a triple. Andretty Cordero’s grounder to short brought home Mercedes as Lancaster took a 2-1 lead.

Ladendorf and Martinez hit back-to-back homers in the fourth as High Point went back on top 3-2. That lead grew to 6-2 after a three-run sixth. Lancaster starter Nile Ball issued back-to-back walks before Logan Moore punched a single to score Martinez. Michael Russell’s single brought home the second run of the inning and Ben Aklinski’s single gave High Point a 6-2 lead.

But the Rockers would not score another run and managed just two hits over the final 3.2 innings.

O’Sullivan allowed a single and a walk in the seventh before being relieved by Seth Frankoff who yielded consecutive singles and a walk before Bryce Hensley came on. Hensley allowed five hits in one-third of an inning before Rockers manager Jamie Keefe went back to the bullpen for Junior Rincon who was able to record the final out of the inning. When the damage was done, the Rockers had allowed seven hits on eight runs and trailed 9-6.

Lancaster added two more runs in the eighth to extend the lead to 11-6.

Hensley took the loss for the Rockers while Donald Goodson earned the win with a pair of strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.

Giovanny Alfonzo had three hits to lead the Rockers while Aklinski, Russell, Ladendorf and Martinez all had two hits.

Shawon Dunston and Chris Proctor each had three hits and two RBI for the Barnstormers. Andretty Cordero added a pair of hits and two RBI.

 

 

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Lancaster Barnstormers rallied for five runs in the top of the 12^th inning and went on to win the opening game of the Atlantic League Championship Series 6-2 over the High Point Rockers on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

The Barnstormers loaded the bases in the 12^th off reliever Cam Cotter, the sixth High Point pitcher of the night. Shawon Dunston reached base after being hit by a pitch and Cotter then issued a walk and an intentional walk, all with two outs. A single by Ariel Sandoval brought home two runs and put the ‘Stormers up 3-1. A walk to Anderson Feliz reloaded the bases and Jacob Barfield smashed a one-hopper to short. Shortstop Giovanny Alfonzo gloved the ball but the force of the drive knocked him backwards and his throw to first was not in time, allowing a fourth run to score. Chris Proctor then singled into the left-center gap to plate two more runs before Barfield was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The Rockers tallied a run in the bottom of the 12^th after Quincy Latimore and Zander Wiel opened the inning with singles. But Tyler Ladendorf hit into a double play as Latimore scored to make it a 6-2 game. Lancaster closer West Tunnell struck out Jay Gonzalez for the final out of the game.

The frenzied ending overshadowed what was a tremendous game for the first 11 innings featuring outstanding pitching and minimal hitting. The Rockers sent knuckleballer to Mickey Jannis to the mound to start and he allowed a solo homer to Shawon Dunston leading off the game. But Jannis settled down after that and did not allow another run through his six innings of work, holding Lancaster to four hits while walking three and striking out five.

The Rockers managed a single run off Lancaster starter Brooks Hall who allowed just four hits over his six innings of work. Ladendorf drew a one-out walk in the fifth and moved to third on a single by Michael Martinez. Alfonzo lifted a fly ball to shallow left field that did not appear to be deep enough to score Ladendorf. But the Major League veteran tagged and took a few steps off third as if he were not going to go to the plate. As the relay throw came in from Dunston, Ladendorf’s deception caused first baseman Andretty Cordero to cut off the throw and his relay to home was not in time to catch the sliding Ladendorf who tied the game at 1-1.

Lancaster’s top scoring opportunity came in the seventh when Jake Hoover led off the inning with a double off reliever Gabriel Castellanos. After Hoover reached third following a sacrifice bunt by Trace Loehr, Dunston sent a one-hopper at Ladendorf at second. Ladendorf scooped the ball on the short hop, twirled and threw a strike to catcher Logan Moore who tagged out Hoover for the second out of the inning.

Cam Booser picked up the win for Lancaster, throwing scoreless frames in the 10^th and 11^th innings. Cotter took the loss after allowing five runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one.

Logan Morrison led High Point’s six-hit effort with two singles.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers are headed to the Atlantic League Championship series after winning the South Division title on Sunday with an 8-7 win over the Gastonia Honey Hunters at Truist Point.

Tied 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth, Giovanny Alfonzo led off the inning with a double into the rightfield corner. Logan Moore’s sacrifice bunt moved Alfonzo to third with just one out. Michael Russell then took a full swing at a 2-1 pitch and hit a slow dribbler up the first base line. Gastonia first baseman Luis Castro tried to pickup the ball and tag Russell on his way to first but was unable to do so. Russell’s 45-foot single brought Alfonzo in from third with the go-ahead run.

“That’s the favorite hit of my life,” said Russell. “That’s as good as it gets right there.”

The Rockers will now advance to the Atlantic League Championship series against the Lancaster Barnstormers who beat Southern Maryland on Sunday in another Game 5. The best-of-five Championship will open Tuesday night at Truist Point with game two slated for Wednesday, also at Truist Point.

Reliever Ryan Dull pitched the final two innings and earned the win, his first of the playoffs. The final out was a called strike three on pinch-hitter Alex Holderbach. It was Dull’s third strikeout of the ninth inning.

That the game was close is a testament to the resilience of Gastonia. Honey Hunter starter John Anderson, who handcuffed the Rockers on Tuesday night and held them to just three hits over five innings in the series opener, was greeted with a different fate on Sunday. Michael Russell led off the bottom of the first with a double and Ben Aklinski beat out a bunt single to put runners on the corners. Logan Morrison continued his hot postseason hitting by slashing an RBI single to score Russell. Quincy Latimore then belted a three-run homer off the batter’s eye in center to put High Point up 4-0. Zander Wiel followed with a solo homer that led to Anderson being lifted after allowing five hits and five runs without recording an out.

“We were due,” said Latimore following the game. “I’ve played a lot of games against John Anderson. I’ve played against him in Mexico, in Australia, in this league, and I hit a home run off him every year. But I hadn’t hit one this year so I said ‘maybe today is the day.’ And lo and behold, I got one in the first at-bat.”

High Point starter Craig Stem allowed just one hit through the first two innings before Gastonia shortstop Jack Reinheimer hit a solo homer in the top of the third to cut the lead to 5-1. The Rockers got that run back in bottom half of the inning when Latimore doubled, stole third, and scored on a single by Tyler Ladendorf.

High Point extended its lead to 7-1 in the fifth when Morrison was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a Gastonia fielding error, took third on a walk to Wiel and scored on a sac fly by Ladendorf.

Stem did not allow another run through the fourth and fifth but ran into trouble in the sixth. Jake Skole doubled and scored on a single by Jaylen Smith. A Cole Freeman double plated Smith and a double by Reece Hampton brought home Freeman as Gastonia tightened the game to 7-4. Lefty Gabriel Castellanos came in from the bullpen and fanned Reinheimer to help the Rockers escape the inning.

A bevy of Gastonia relievers kept High Point off the board in the sixth and seventh innings. The Honey Hunters then made it a one-run game in the seventh off High Point reliever Tyler Higgins. Zach Jarrett hit a one-out single and Castro blasted a homer to right to make it a 7-6 game.

Dull came on in the eighth and cruised through the first two outs. But Hampton pulled a pitch down the line and over the rightfield wall to tie the game at 7-7 and set off a celebration in the Gastonia dugout.

Dull wasn’t rattled by Hampton’s game-tying homer in the eighth.

“I told myself it was just one run and I needed to keep it at that and limit the damage, give our guys a chance,” said Dull. “Ben Aklinski came up to me in the dugout and said ‘We got you, we got you.’ (Catcher) Logan (Moore) and I were on the same page with their hitters. We were just going to try and pitch to weak contact or make them swing and miss.”

That celebration was short-lived as Russell’s squib single was enough to put the Rockers back in front.

“We fought these guys tooth and nail all year long, through 41 games,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “Gastonia left it all out on the field. They have nothing to be ashamed of. They had one heckuva a year and they’ve got some amazing players. (Manager Mauro) Goose (Gozzo) did a nice job of running the club.

“Anderson has had our number all year. We couldn’t touch him until tonight.  We knew we had to be aggressive and that’s what we came out and tried to do.”

“This place (Truist Point) was electric tonight,” said Keefe. “And for us to win this game at home, it is a very sweet feeling.”

“We knew this game was going to be a fight,” said Dull. “Everybody in that clubhouse was just fighting to the very end.”

NOTES: If an MVP were to be chosen for the ALPB Division Series, certainly High Point’s Logan Morrison would have been the recipient. The Major League veteran hit .579 (11-for-19) with two doubles, two homers and nine RBI in the five-game series . . . Russell hit .333 (7-for-21) in the series . . . Latimore’s five RBI in the series were second to Morrison’s team-high nine . . . Craig Stem, who won High Point’s first-ever postseason game on Wednesday, is now joined by Dull and Neil Uskali with one postseason win  . . . Stem’s nine strikeouts in the series leads the pitching staff.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers forced a decisive Game 5 in the Atlantic League South Division Championship by beating Gastonia 6-1 on Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd at Truist Point.

High Point and Gastonia will meet at 4:35 p.m. on Sunday at Truist Point with the winner advancing to the Atlantic League Championship Series. Sunday’s winner will meet the winner of the North Division Championship between Lancaster, Pa. and Southern Maryland. That series is going to a fifth game as well after Lancaster’s 15-5 win on Saturday night. Tickets for the critical Rockers-Honey Hunters contest are priced at $10 and are available at the Rockers Ticket Office starting at 1 p.m. Sunday or online at HighPointRockers.com.

Zander Wiel and Roldani Baldwin each hit critical two-run homers for the Rockers to support the three-hit pitching of Rockers’ starter Neil Uskali.

Uskali almost didn’t make it through the first inning. He walked Reece Hampton to open the game then allowed an RBI double to Jack Reinheimer. Uskali then walked Joseph Rosa and, after retiring the next two hitters, hit Luis Castro with a pitch to load the bases. After a mound visit from pitching coach Frank Viola, Uskali escaped after allowing just the lone run. He then proceeded to retire the next 12 batters in order as the Rockers built a 4-1 lead.

“He was almost out of there quick,” said manager Jamie Keefe of Uskali’s first inning troubles. “I almost went to the bullpen early. But after that, he grabbed the ball and he was lights out. It was beautiful.”

After escaping the first, the Rockers responded with a four-run bottom of the first. Michael Russell beat out an infield single to open the inning and scored when Logan Morrison hit an RBI double.  Morrison scored on an RBI single by Quincy Latimore to put the Rockers ahead 2-1. That’s when Wiel unloaded his first homer of the postseason, scoring Latimore ahead of him for a 4-1 High Point advantage.

Gastonia didn’t generate another baserunner until Hampton and Reinheimer had back-to-back singles with two outs in the fifth but were stranded when Rosa flew out to left. Uskali put the Honey Hunters down in order in the sixth and sandwiched two outs around a walk in the seventh before Keefe went to Tyler Higgins out of the bullpen. Higgins retired all four hitters he faced through the eighth inning and Ryan Dull had a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts to close out the contest.

Roldani Baldwin hit his first homer of the postseason with Tyler Ladendorf aboard in the bottom of the eighth to add insurance to the 6-1 lead.

Usakali went 6.2 innings, allowed three hits and one run while walking three and striking out three.

“Neil pitched his butt off and the two guys who came out of the bullpen pitched their butts off, too,” said Keefe.

Keefe was asked what turned it around for Uskali after the early hiccup.

“Like (catcher) Logan Moore said, we have to flip the script on them,” said Keefe. “We can’t pitch them the same way we’ve pitched them all year, and that’s what we did. He got the two-seamer going.”

While the announced crowd at Truist Point numbered over 1,600, it was a lively, loud and partisan crowd that fueled the Rockers throughout the game.

“This is probably as loud as it gets,” said Keefe of the Saturday night crowd at Truist Point. “If we can get this same crowd tomorrow, if you can’t get up for them, you can’t get up for anything.”