By Camden Connolly 

HIGH POINT, NC- Ben Aklinski’s sixth inning grand slam erased a 3-2 Hagerstown lead and propelled the High Point Rockers to a 6-3 win over the Flying Boxcars Friday night at Truist Point. The homer was Aklinski’s 10^th of the season and his 10^th career grand slam as a Rocker.

With the win, the Rockers lead the Atlantic League’s South Division at 23-8, and own a 6.5 game lead over second place Southern Maryland. The loss drops the Boxcars to 6-25.

After a brief rain delay that pushed the start back 25 minutes, the Rockers’ Luis Gonzalez got the show on the road by slamming his seventh home run of the season in the first, giving the Rockers a 1-0 lead.

Hagertown’s Welington Dotel started the fourth inning with a solo homer off Rocker’s starter Erich Uelmen (W,3-1), evening the score at 1-1.  In the bottom of the fourth, High Point’s Aidan Brewer drew a walk before stealing both second and third base, which he turned into a run on a throwing error by Hagerstown catcher Isaias Quiroz, putting the Rockers ahead 2-1.

Uelmen appeared to be in trouble in the fifth when allowed a lead-off triple to Ossie Abreu. But the veteran righty was able to escape the jam with three consecutive infield ground outs.

After Uelmen allowed a walk and a single with one out in the sixth, Hagerstown’s Chris Kwitzer banged a two-run single off reliever Kyle Halbohn (W, 1-0) to put the Boxcars ahead 3-2.

Aklinski’s grand slam came off Hagerstown reliever Donald Goodson (L, 0-1) after he had walked Carlos Amezquita and Cody Wilson. After going 3-0 on Luis Gonzalez, Hagerstown opted to intentionally walk him and face Aklinski with the bases loaded. That proved to be a fateful decision for the Flying Boxcars when Aklinski hit his go-ahead grand slam.

Tommy Doyle earned his fifth save of the season with three innings of scoreless relief.

The Rockers will take on Boxcars once again Saturday, May 31, for the second game of the series at 6:35 pm at Truist Point.

NOTES: Ben Akliniski is just one stolen base away from becoming just the third player in Atlantic League history to collect 100 homers and 100 stolen bases in a career . . . Aklinski has 110 career homers in his five years in the league and has 99 stolen bases.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers won their 10^th consecutive series with a 6-2 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds on Thursday night at GoMart Park. The Rockers took two of three games from Charleston in the series as Matt Solter tossed six shutout innings for High Point.

With the win, the Rockers have either taken two of three games in each three-game series this year, or posted a three-game sweep. The previous club record for consecutive series wins had been six.

The win gives the Rockers a 22-8 record, matching the 2022 and 2023 clubs for the best 30-game start to a season. High Point owns a 5.5 game lead over Southern Maryland (15-12) in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

Solter (W, 4-1), making his sixth start of the season, shut out the Dirty Birds through six innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out six. He pitched out of a bases loaded, no outs jam in the sixth with a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to short to keep Charleston scoreless. He tossed 110 pitches in earning the victory.

The Rockers opened the scoring with two runs in the second when Aidan Brewer tripled, Nolan Watson walked, and Brewer scored on a single by Cody Wilson.  D.J. Burt followed with a single to center to plate Watson for a 2-0 lead.

High Point added a single run in the fifth when Ben Aklinski walked, move to second and third on consecutive wild pitches by Charleston starter Jonh Henriquez (L, 2-1), and scored on a sac fly from Max Viera.

The Rockers grew their lead to 5-0 in the seventh when Drew Mendoza singled and scored on Viera’s second homer of the season.

In the bottom of the seventh, Charleston’s James Nelson walked, move to second on an infield ground out and stole third before scoring on a balk by Rockers lefty Braeden Ogle. Chad Sedio laced an RB double to pull the Birds within three at 5-2.

High Point added an insurance run in the ninth when Viera reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a double by Jack Conley.

Mendoza, Viera and Wilson each finished with a pair of hits and Viera led the Rockers with three RBI. Charleston was held to five hits with Travis Demeritte collecting a pair.

The Rockers return home following the game and will open a nine-game homestand at Truist Point on Friday. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars with fireworks slated for the postgame.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers fought through a two-hour rain delay and wet and chilly conditions but could not overcome the Charleston Dirty Birds in a 7-1 loss Wednesday afternoon at GoMart Park.

The game was scheduled for a 10:35 a.m. start but was halted due to rain in the top of the second inning with the Rockers leading 1-0.  Luis Gonzalez smacked a sacrifice fly to score D.J. Burt who had led off the game with a single then stole second and third base.

After a two-hour delay, play resumed with High Point using reliever Jonah Scolaro (L, 2-1) for the re-start after Cooper Casad had used 13 pitches to set down the Dirty Birds in order in the first.

Scolaro allowed two runs in the bottom of the second, both scoring on a Joseph Rosa double as Charleston took a 2-1 lead.

The score remained the same until the eighth when Justin Lewis relieved Kyle Halbohn who had pitched two hitless innings. Chad Sedio hit a solo homer and James Nelson and J.J. Matijevic each delivered two-run singles as Charleston grew its lead to 7-1.

Samuel Reyes (W, 1-2) earned the win for Charleston, tossing 2.1 innings and allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out two. Joe Record earned the save with two shutout innings of relief.

Five Charleston pitchers held the Rockers to four hits, two from Ben Aklinski and one each from Burt and Evan Edwards.

The Rockers at 21-8 continue to hold a five-game lead over second place Southern Maryland (15-12) in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

Game three of the series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Thursday before the Rockers return home to open a nine-game homestand. The first game will be Friday night at 6:35 p.m. against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.

NOTES: Evan Edwards singled on Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 14 games . . . Edwards continues to lead the Atlantic League with 13 homers and 43 RBI.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers won their fourth straight game, shutting out the Charleston Dirty Birds 5-0 on Tuesday night at GoMart Park.

The Rockers continue to maintain the Atlantic League’s top record at 21-7, matching the best start in club history, shared with the 2023 Rockers.

The Rockers used a pair of big hits in the sixth inning to surge to the win.

Ben Aklinski returned to action on Tuesday after nursing an injury over the weekend, and promptly homered with one out in the fourth to give the Rockers their initial 1-0 lead.

Jamison Hill (L, 1-3) departed in the fifth after having allowed the Rockers to load the bases. Max Viera was hit by a pitch, Cody Wilson singled and D.J. Burt drew a walk. Luis Gonzalez then singled to center to plate a pair of runs. Evan Edwards then doubled to center to score two more and give the Rockers the 5-0 cushion.

High Point starter Kent Emanuel (W, 4-0) worked six innings, allowed five hits, two walks and struck out eight.

Lefty Braeden Ogle set the Dirty Birds down in order in the seventh and Tommy Doyle finished the shutout with two scoreless innings while striking out two.

Game two of the series is a matinee on Wednesday with the two teams scheduled to start at 10:35 am at GoMart Park.

GASTONIA, N.C. – High Point’s Evan Edwards continued his torrid hitting streak on Saturday night, leading the Rockers to a 6-2 win over Gastonia at CaroMont Health Park.

Edwards hit two home runs to increase his Atlantic League-leading season total to 13 and drove in two runs, moving his season total to 41, also tops among ALPB players.

The win allows the Rockers to continue to maintain the top record in the ALPB at 19-7 and puts High Point four games in front of second place Lexington (15-11).

For the seventh straight game, the Rockers scored multiple runs in the first inning, this time victimizing Gastonia starter Kevin Smith (L, 0-2). Smith walked the first two batters he faced, D.J. Burt and Luis Gonzalez, and then hit Nick Longhi with a pitch. With the bases loaded, Drew Mendoza drew a walk to force in Burt before Jack Conley beat out an infield single to plate Gonzalez.

High Point starter Erich Ulemen (W, 2-1) threw 6.1 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while fanning four.

The Rockers scored a single run in the third on Edwards’ first homer of the night, added a run in the fourth on Burt’s RBI double and tallied their fifth run in the fifth on Longhi’s solo blast. Edwards capped the night with a solo homer in the ninth.

Gastonia’s two runs came in the seventh off High Point reliever Jonah Scolaro who yielded a two-run homer to Jack Reinheimer.

Edwards is now riding a 12-game hitting streak in which he has gone 19-for-45 (.422) with five home runs and 21 RBI.

At 19-7, the Rockers have tied the franchise mark for the best start to a season, matching the 2023 club which started the year 21-7.

Game three of the series is set for Sunday afternoon at CaroMont Health Park with first pitch at 4 p.m.

GASTONIA, N.C. – Matt Solter pitched five shutout innings on Friday night to set the pace as the High Point Rockers took a 9-3 decision from the Gastonia Ghost Peppers in the opening game of a three-game series at CaroMont Health Park.

Solter (W, 3-1), who tossed a two hit shutout over nine innings to beat Lexington 17-0 on May 17, continued his scoreless streak over the first five innings on Friday while his teammates did the heavy lifting in the Rockers win.

At 18-7, the Rockers continue to own the best record in the Atlantic League and now own a four-game lead in the South Division over Lexington (14-11).

The Rockers opened the game by scoring four times in the first inning. Gastonia starter Connor Grey (L, 0-2) left after just seven pitches and allowing a pair of hits. Lead-off hitter D.J. Burt hit a ground rule double and Drew Mendoza lined a shot up the middle that connected with Grey’s throwing elbow and led to his departure. Nick Longhi then greeted reliever John Wilson with a two-run double before a pair of Gastonia errors led to the Rockers third run. Ian Yetsko singled home High Point’s fourth run of the frame.

The Rockers added a single run in the third when Tanner Myatt walked three straight batters and Max Viera trotted home on a wild pitch. High Point grew the lead to 6-0 in the fifth on Yetsko’s solo homer.

With five shutout innings coupled with his nine inning shutout in his last outing, Solter stretched his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 14, one shy of the club record. But Gastonia spoiled that mark in the sixth when Dalton Guthrie hit a three-run homer to cut the Rockers lead in half to 6-3.

Solter went six innings, walked three and struck out six while yielding two runs and five hits.

Justin Lewis came on in the seventh inning and put the Peppers down in order. Tommy Doyle tossed shutout frames in the eighth and ninth innings to close out the win.

The Rockers tacked on three insurance runs in the eighth off Nick Horvath to stretch the lead to 9-3. Aidan Brewer and D.J. Burt started the inning with singles. Nick Longhi drove home Brewer with a ground rule double and Evan Edwards doubled to plate two more runs.

Burt, Mendoza, Longhi and Yetsko each finished the night with a pair of hits. Longhi and Edwards each collected three RBI while Yetsko drove in a pair of runs. Edwards has now collected 18 RBI over his last eight games and is riding an 11-game hitting streak.

High Point and Gastonia meet again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at CaroMont Health Park in game two of the three-game series.