By Camden Connolly

HIGH POINT, NC- Jordan Luplow hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a six-run rally and give the High Point Rockers a 7-4 win over the Lancaster Stormers in front of a crowd of 2,023 on Friday night at Truist Point.

The win leaves the Rockers with a magic number of two and they could clinch the Atlantic League’s South Division first half title with a win on Saturday night at Truist Point. Any combination of two Rockers wins and/or two losses by the second place Southern Maryland Blue Crabs would give High Point its second first half title in the last three years.

Trailing 4-1 entering the ninth inning, the Rockers put together four hits and took advantage of a pair of walks to post their second walk-off win of the season.

Ben Aklinski started the rally by drawing a walk from Lancaster’s Cody Stashak. A Jack Conley single put two aboard. After Stashak fanned Aidan Brewer for the first out, he walked Braxton Davidson to load the bases. The Stormers went with lefty Phil Diehl who induced a ground out to second by Luis Gonzalez to bring home Aklinski and cut the deficit to 4-2. A single by Max Viera plated Conley before Drew Mendoza added a single to tie the game. Luplow then hit a 2-2 pitch from Diehl deep over the fence in left to give the Rockers the 7-4 win.

Lancaster starter Noah Bremer shutout the Rockers through the first seven innings and only giving up three hits while his teammates built a 3-0 lead. All three runs came in the third inning off Rockers starter Pat Gardner who went six innings. The Stormers used sac flies from Yeison Coca and Nick Lucky along with an RBI double from Joseph Carpenter to take the lead.

The Rockers finally got on the board in the eighth when Brewer singled and moved to third on an error by Lancaster first baseman Mason Martin. Drew Mendoza then singled off Lancaster reliever Gerson Moreno to drive in Brewer.

The Stormers appeared to add an insurance run with a sacrifice fly from Alex Isola in the top of the ninth to bring the score to 4-1.

The Rockers will meet the Stormers at Truist Point on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. for the second game of the three-game series. It will be Strike Out Cancer night at Truist Point. Fans can follow all the action on FLOBASEBALL.tv and on the Mixlr app.

GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers scored nine runs over the fourth and fifth innings and went on to post a 12-6 win over the Gastonia Ghost Peppers on Thursday night at CaroMont Health Park. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Rockers.

The Rockers dropped their magic number to clinch the Atlantic League’s South Division title to three as High Point returns home to open a three-game series on Friday against the Lancaster Stormers.

High Point owns a six-game lead over the second place Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The Rockers can clinch the title with any combination of three High Point wins and/or Southern Maryland losses.

The game was tied 3-3 after three innings when the Rockers opened the flood gates.

The Rockers put a pair of runners on board to open the fourth when Aidan Brewer and Luis Gonzalez each singled. A third straight single by Max Viera plated Brewer and put Gonzalez at third. Drew Mendoza hit into a 6-4-3 double play but Gonzalez crossed the plate to put High Point up 5-3. After another single by Jordan Luplow, Alex Dickerson slammed a homer to right to extend the Rockers lead to 7-3.

Mendoza grounded out to short in the bottom of the fifth, bringing home Isaiah Mirabal to give the Rockers an 8-3 lead. After Gastonia reliever Jackson boss walked Luplow, Dickerson delivered his second homer of the night, a grand slam, to increase High Point’s lead to 12-3.

High Point starter Cooper Casad (W, 2-2) went six innings, allowed eight hits and five runs while walking one and striking out four. Gastonia starter Justus Sheffield (L, 5-2) allowed 11 hits and seven runs, six earned over his four innings of work.

High Point host the Lancaster Stormers in their only visit to High Point this season. The three-game series starts on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. Rockers fans can follow the action on FLOBASEBALL.tv and on the Mixlr app.

NOTES: Casad is in his fourth stint with the Rockers having pitched in 2021-22 and 2024-25 . . . The win was his 12^th career victory as a Rocker putting him in fourth place in career wins . . . Dickerson’s grand slam was the eighth of the season for the Rockers, setting a club record for slams in a season . . . The 2019 and 2023 Rockers clubs each hit seven grand slams . . . Luis Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 13 straight games with a fourth inning single.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trailing 14-5 after six innings, the High Pont Rockers rallied for five runs over the final three innings before falling 14-10 to the Lexington Legends on Saturday night at Legends Field.

The Rockers (35-15) lead in the Atlantic League’s South Division is at six games after Southern Maryland (28-21) beat Gastonia 8-3 on Saturday night.

With 13 games remaining, the Rockers have a magic number of seven to clinch their second South Division first half title in the last three years.

The Rockers entered the day with the fifth-best winning percentage in professional baseball at .745.

The Rockers tallied three times in the first inning as Luis Gonzalez led off the game with his ninth homer of the year and, following a single by Drew Mendoza, Alex Dickerson blasted a two-run homer.

The Legends responded in the bottom of the second with five runs to take a 7-3 lead. J.T. Riddle started it with a hit off Rockers starter Pat Gardner (L, 0-1) followed by a Dylan Rock two-run homer. Pedro Gonzalez walked, stole second and scored on a double to right by Andy Atwood. Jerry Huntzinger then doubled off the wall in right to score Atwood and put the Legends ahead 4-3. Riddle’s single scored Atwood and Brady Whalen’s single brought home Riddle. E.J. Cumbo added an RBI single to complete the scoring.

Lexington grew its lead to 8-3 in the third when Riddle singled to score Brian Fuentes who doubled to lead off the inning.

The Rockers tallied twice in the fourth to close the margin to 8-5 in the fourth on an Aidan Brewer home run and back-to-back doubles by Gonzalez and Mendoza. But the Legends struck reliever Kyle Halbohn for two runs in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the sixth to surge to a 14-5 advantage.

The Rockers rallied with three runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI double from Alex Dickerson and a two-run double by Max Viera. In the top of the eighth, Gonzalez hit a two-run homer to pull the Rockers to within four at 14-10.

Zach Vennaro kept the Legends scoreless in the seventh and Jameson McGrane retired the side in order in the eighth.

The Rockers were able to put a pair of runners on base in the top of the ninth but could not bring either around to score.

Lexington’s Wilton Castillo (W, 3-4) went five innings and allowed seven hits and five runs while striking out six. Jonathan Haab (S, 6) earned the save by pitching the ninth inning.

Gonzalez finished the night with three hits, three RBI and four runs scored while Dickerson had a pair of hits and three RBI. Riddled led the Legends with four hits and three runs batted in.

The series finale is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday afternoon at Legends Field.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The High Point Rockers dropped their second consecutive game, falling 11-4 at the Lexington Legends at Legends Field in the opening game of a three-game series. It marked just the third time this season the Rockers have dropped back-to-back games.

The Rockers (35-14) magic number to clinch the Atlantic League’s South Division title stands at eight as second place Southern Maryland (27-21) lost at Gastonia, 5-2.

The Rockers started the day with the fifth-best record in professional baseball at .729. They trailed Pecos League members Garden City (17-2, .895), Tucson (16-4, .800),  and San Rafael (18-6, .750) and Mexico City (38-14, .731) in the Mexican Baseball League.

The Rockers trailed 4-3 in the fifth inning before Lexington scored five unanswered runs to take an 8-4 lead. The Legends added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh and High Point tallied once in the ninth for the 11-5 final.

Lexington jumped on the board in the bottom of the first when, with two outs, Brady Whalen doubled and scored on an error by Rockers shortstop Aidan Brewer on a ball hit by Curtis Terry. Terry then scampered home on an error by catcher Jack Conley.

The Rockers tied the game with two runs of their own in the top of the third when Carlos Amezquita singled to right and scored on a double by Luis Gonzalez. Drew Mendoza followed with an RBI single to plate Gonzalez and knot the game at 2-2.

The Legends surged to a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third on back-to-back doubles from Whalen and Terry and an infield ground out by Pedro Gonzalez.

High Point cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth on Gonzalez’s eighth homer of the season, a solo shot.

But Lexington went up 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth on Whalen’s third double of the game and a two-run homer from E.J. Cumbo.

The Legends chased Rockers starter Cooper Casad (L, 1-2) in the sixth when J.T. Riddle doubled and scored on Dylan Rock’s two-run homer. Casad left after 5.1 innings, having allowed 11 hits and eight runs, six earned, and two strikeouts.

Jake Gilbert came on in relief and walked Whalen who then moved to second on a balk and advanced to third on an infield single by Curtis Terry. Whalen then scored on a wild pitch from Gilbert to put the Legends in command at 9-3.

Lexington starter Ben Ferrer (W, 1-1) exited after six innings, having scattered eight hits and allowing three runs on two walks and four strikeouts.

Reliever Michael Esposito came on in the seventh and walked Gonzalez and Mendoza to start the inning before inducing Ben Aklinski to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. After Esposito walked Braxton Davidson, Lexington manager Paul Fletcher pulled Esposito in favor of Jimmy Loper. Jack Conley greeted Loper with an RBI single to score Gonzalez. Alex Dickerson singled through the left side to load the bases but Loper fanned Brewer to escape the jam.

In the bottom of the seventh, Riddle line a shot into the left field corner that scored Jerry Huntzinger to put the Legends up 10-4.

Conley added an RBI single for the Rockers in the top of the ninth, one of his three hits on the day. Whalen went four-for-four for the Legends with four runs scored and an RBI.

Game two of the series is set for Saturday night at Legends Field with a 7 p.m. first pitch.

 

NOTES: Rockers pitching coach Frank Viola was ejected in the bottom of the seventh inning during a mound visit.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers extended their season-long winning streak to eight games with a doubleheader sweep of the Staten Island FerryHawks on Wednesday night at Truist Point. The Rockers won the opener 6-2 and took the nightcap 10-4.

The win puts the Rockers at 35-12 on the season, the best record in the Atlantic League. High Point owns an eight-game lead over second place Southern Maryland (27-20).

Braxton Davidson hit a home run in each game, clubbing a three-run shot that traveled 456 feet in the opener and adding a 443-foot two-run homer in the night cap. Shortstop Aidan Brewer had four hits over the two games and Davidson finished the night with five RBI.

High Point’s Matt Solter (W, 7-1) became the first seven game winner in the Atlantic League, allowing the FerryHawks seven hits over seven innings while walking one and fanning seven. Solter’s complete game was his third of the season, setting a club record.

Tommy Doyle (W, 1-1) went five innings in the nightcap and struck out three while allowing just one walk in the 10-4 win.

The Rockers trailed 1-0 in the first game after Nate Scantlin hit a solo homer leading off the third inning for Staten Island. High Point took the lead with a five run bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run double from Brewer and Davidson’s three-run shot.

Staten island took a 1-0 lead when Eddy Diaz led off the game with a first pitch homer off Doyle. High Point reclaimed the lead in the second on a two-run triple by D.J. Burt. With a 4-1 lead heading into the fourth inning, the Rockers exploded for four runs, two on Davidson’s blast and another pair on Drew Mendoza’s two-run double.

The Rockers and FerryHawks will play the final game of the series on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

Notes: The Rockers signed MLB veteran outfielder Alex Dickerson prior to Tuesday’s game. He started at DH in the second game and had a two-run triple in the third inning … Davidson’s homers were the first of his time with the Rockers … Solter’s third complete game broke the Rockers record of two in a season held by Jonah Scolaro and Bryce Hensley.