GASTONIA, N.C. – The Gastonia Ghost Peppers broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the eighth inning to claim a 3-2 win over the High Point Rockers Saturday night at CaroMont Health Park.

The Rockers are now 40-22 in the first half and have wrapped up the South Division’s first half championship. Sunday’s contest at 4 p.m. at Gastonia will be the final game of the first half.

On Saturday, the Rockers faced 35-year-old righty Craig Stem who went 16-22 as a starting pitcher for the Rockers from 2019-2023. Stem went five innings and held the Rockers to three hits and two runs while walking two and striking out five.

Gastonia went up 1-0 in the first inning when Nate Scantlin led off the frame with a solo homer off Rockers starter Jared Henry.

The Rockers took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Stem loaded the bases and Ian Yetsko reached on an error by the shortstop that allowed one run to score. Luis Gonzalez then drew a walk with the bases full to force in a second run.

Gastonia tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth when Narciso Crook scored from second on an errant pickoff throw from Rockers catcher Nolan Watson.

The game remained 2-2 until the eighth inning.

Facing Zach Vennaro (L, 0-1) in the eighth, Gastonia’s Brian O’Grady started the inning with a single and moved to second on a single by Narciso Crook. A double steal put the runners and second and third before Kevin Watson, Jr. grounded out to second, allowing O’Grady to score the go-ahead run.

Gastonia’s Bryan Blanton put the Rockers down in order to earn the save. Art Warren pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Peppers to earn the win (W, 1-0).

Max Viera finished with two of High Point’s five hits on the night.

NOTES: The Rockers activated INF Carlos Amezquita and RHP Justin Lewis from the injured list prior to Saturday’s game . . . Amezquita started in left field.

GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Gastonia Ghost Peppers 4-3 in 10 innings and win their 40^th game of the season on Friday afternoon at CaroMont Health Park.

The Rockers trailed 3-0 after seven innings before rallying for three runs in the eighth and adding the winning run in the top of the ninth. Kyle Halbohn held the Peppers scoreless in the 10^th to earn the save, his fourth of the season.

The Rockers were hitless until the fifth inning as Gastonia starter Matt Hartman retired the first 14 batters he faced before Braxton Davidson hit a two-out single with two outs in the fifth.

Cole Roderer singled home Narciso Crook off Rockers starter Jonah Scolaro in the second to put Gastonia up 1-0. Brian O’Grady added an RBI double in the third for a 2-0 advantage before Ethan Skender’s solo homer in the fourth put the Ghost Peppers up 3-0.

The Rockers tied the game with three runs in the eighth. Davidson led off the inning with a solo homer off reliever Ryan Hennen. Hennen then hit Aidan Brewer in the foot with a pitch and walked Isaiah Mirabal. Michael Logan dropped a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Gastonia brought in lefty Nick Horvath and Luis Gonzalez greeted him with a first pitch single to left, scoring Brewer and cutting the deficit to one. Max Viera then lined a single to center to score Mirabal and tie the game at 3-3.

With Jameson McGrane (W, 1-0) on the mound for the Rockers in the ninth, Gastonia loaded the bases with one out but a Brewer-Viera-Davidson 6-4-3 double play sent the game into extra innings.

In the top of the tenth, the Rockers took a 4-3 lead off reliever Cory Thompson (L, 1-1) when Viera hit a sac fly to right to score Brewer who had started the inning as the ghost runner at second.

Halbohn issued one walk before retiring O’Grady on a foul out to first and a fielder’s choice from Crook. Ian Yetsko made a diving grab of Cole Roederer’s line drive in right to extinguish Gastonia’s final hope.

The Rockers improve to 40-21 on the year marking just their third 40-win half season.

Davidson had two of the Rockers four hits in the game while O’Grady collected three of Gastonia’s eight safeties.

Game two of the series is set for 7 o’clock on Saturday night at Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park.

By Camden Connolly 

HIGH POINT, N.C. – After being shut out in back-to-back games, the High Point Rockers purged their memories by beating the Gastonia Ghost Peppers 12-5 Wednesday night at Truist Point. A season-high 10-run second inning helped pave the way to the victory.

The Rockers had dropped a 12-0 decision to Lancaster on Sunday and were blanked 2-0 in a rain-shortened five inning game on Tuesday night.

Wednesday’s game was decided shortly after it started. High Point’s 10-run second inning was its biggest single inning offensive explosion since tallying a 14-run ninth inning against the Spire City Ghost Hounds on July 29, 2023.

The inning was highlighted by a two-run single from Luis Gonzale, a three-run homer from Drew Mendoza, a two-run homer by Ben Aklinski and topped off by Braxton Davidson’s solo homer off the video board.

The Rockers are now 39-20 on the season. Wednesday’s win marked the 400^th win in Rockers history and also the 400^th win for Jamie Keefe as the Rockers manager.

Nate Scantlin put the first two runs on the board for Gastonia in the second inning by slamming a two-run triple off High Point starter pitcher Cooper Casad (W, 3-2), giving Gastonia a 2-0 lead.

Trailing 10-2, the Ghost Peppers were able to slightly bridge the gap in the fifth inning as Justin Wylie singled, knocking in Scantlin. The Ghost Peppers’ Narciso Crook drove in Wylie, pushing the Ghost Peppers to within six at 10-4.

The Rockers are slated to play the rubber match against the Ghost Peppers Thursday at 6:35 pm. The Rockers largest fireworks show of the year will follow the game.

NOTES: Rockers outfielder Jordan Luplow was acquired by the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican Baseball League on Wednesday.  Luplow played 14 games for High Point, hitting .255 with four homers and 13 RBIs while drawing eight walks and scoring nine runs. He spent part of seven seasons in Major League baseball, primarily with Pittsburgh and Cleveland, before joining the Rockers. Luplow is the seventh Rocker to have their contract purchased this season and the 46th in club history.

By Camden Connolly 

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Gastonia Ghost Peppers took a 2-0 win from the High Point Rockers in a rain-shortened game at Truist Point on Tuesday night.

The Ghost Peppers gained a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Kevin Watson Jr. launched a two-run double, knocking in Brian O’Grady and Cole Roederer off Rockers starting pitcher Tommy Dole (L, 1-3)
Gastonia’s starting pitcher Nick Wells left after the first inning after absorbing a line drive hit by Drew Mendoza that deflected to second baseman Ethan Skender who threw Mendoza out at first. Wells threw several warm-up pitches and remained in the contest but John Wilson (W, 2-1) entered the game in the bottom of the second and held the Rockers to just one hit over the final four innings.

The game was called in the top of the sixth inning when a thunder storm settled over Truist Point. The game was called after a 40-minute delay.

High Point collected just three hits with Max Viera hitting a double in the first, a single from Ben Aklinski in the second and a double by Braxton Davidson in the fifth.

The Rockers are slated to play their second game of a three-game series against the Ghost Peppers on Wednesday at 6:35 pm.

NOTES: Gastonia’s lead-off hitter, Nate Scantlin, doubled to right to start the sixth and Cole Roederer had a full count when the skies opened and lightning was detected in the vicinity of the ballpark . . . The Mexico City Diablos Rojos purchased the contract of Rockers LHP Kent Emanuel on Tuesday . . . The Rockers released LHP Braeden Ogle and signed Fin Del Bonta-Smith who was most recently pitching with Pittsburgh’s AA club in Altoona in June.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers won the Atlantic League’s South Division first half championship with a 5-3 win over the Lancaster Stormers on Saturday night at Truist Point. The Rockers win combined with Southern Maryland’s loss to Lexington gave the Rockers the championship.

High Point (38-18) wins the division over the second place Blue Crabs (31-25). It is the second South Division first half title for the Rockers in the last three years. As first half champions, the Rockers have earned a berth in the ALPB League Championship Series against the second half South Division champion.

The Rockers fell behind 1-0 when Lancaster’s Evan Alexander opened the game with a walk and scored on an infield ground out by Joseph Carpenter.

High Point put up four runs in the third to take the lead. After a solo homer from Braxton Davidson knotted the game at 1-1, Drew Mendoza blasted a three-run shot for a 4-1 advantage.

The lead grew to 5-1 in the fifth when Davidson walked and scored on an infield grounder from Max Viera.

The Stormers rallied in the eighth, touching High Point reliever Stevie Branche for a pair of runs on a two-run double by Mason Martin. Jameson McGrane came on and got the Rockers out of trouble before pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his third save of the season.

Rockers starter Jonah Scolaro (W, 3-2) went five innings and allowed just one hit despite walking five and striking out three. The Stormers did not get another hit until the eighth and the Rockers staff finished with a two-hitter.

Lancaster starter Max Green (L, 0-4) was saddled with the loss, allowing five hits and five runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Luis Gonzalez and Mendoza each finished with a pair of hits and Mendoza led all players with three RBI.

The Rockers are slated to take on the Stormers in the series closer on Sunday at 4:05 pm.