CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – The High Point Rockers used a combination of rookie guile and veteran composure to win their sixth straight game with a 10-6 win over the Long Island Ducks at Fairfield Property Ballpark.

The win leaves the Rockers at 33-12 on the season, the best 45-game start to a season in club history. In addition, the Rockers’ six-game winning streak is their longest of the season. The Rockers have an eight-game lead over second place Southern Maryland in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

The Rockers used a four-run seventh inning and a three-run ninth in posting their ninth straight win over the Ducks at Long Island.

With three starting pitchers on the injured or inactive list, the Rockers signed lefty Pat Gardner on Sunday morning and then sent him to the mound hours later. The signing of Gardner was necessary due to the injured list status of starters Brandon Backman and Erich Uelmen and Kyle Barraclough being on the inactive list. Gardner, a Staten Island native, pitched for Fairleigh Dickinson University and the University of Pittsburgh during his college years. His last appearance on the mound had been a start against Duke on May 21 in the ACC Tournament.

Gardner showed no rust, striking out the first batter he faced and holding the Ducks to three hits and a single run through four innings.

After three scoreless innings, the Rockers broke the ice in the top of the fourth against Ducks starter Juan Hillman. Hill walked Cody Wilson to start the inning before Ben Aklinski singled to left. Drew Mendoza added another single to load the bases. Hillman struck out Max Viera for the first out but then walked Braxton Davidson to bring home Wilson to give the Rockers a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Long Island’s Troy Viola doubled to right and scored on a single to left by former Rocker Roldani Baldwin, knotting the game at 1-1.

After Isaiah Mirabal drew a walk to lead off the fifth, D.J. Burt lined a two-run homer to left, staking the Rockers to a 3-1 lead.

Gardner left after four with a 3-1 lead and the Rockers brought on Daniel Frontera (W, 1-0), another recent signee from the college ranks. The Seton Hall grad threw a pair of scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth innings in earning his first professional victory.

In the top of the seventh, Mirabal singled with one out and moved to second on a single by Burt. Luis Gonzalez was hit by a pitch by Ducks reliever Brad Case to load the bases. Wilson beat out a fielder’s choice allowing Mirabal to score to put the Rockers up 4-1 and the lead grew to 5-1 when Aklinski delivered an RBI single past third base. Drew Mendoza then lifted a routine fly ball that was dropped by left fielder River Town, allowing Aklinski and Wilson to score to pump the score to 7-1 in favor of the Rockers.

The Rockers brought in Zach Vennaro in the bottom of the seventh inning and he allowed an RBI single to Cody Thomas as the Ducks pulled to 7-2.

Jonah Scolaro relieved Vennaro in the eighth and Baldwin delivered a two-run homer to cut the Rockers lead to 7-4 as River Town made it a one-run game at 7-6 with a two-run double.

Rockes manager Jamie Keefe turned to veteran Jameson McGrane who closed the door in the eighth and sent the Rockers to the ninth with a 7-6 lead. Now in his fourth stint with the Rockers, the 32-year old McGrane returned in the ninth to earn his 43^rd career Atlantic League save.

In the top of ninth, Long Island’s Mark Washington allowed singles to Burt and Carlos Amezquita and a walk to Aklinski to lead the bases, setting the table for a two-run double from Mendoza to re-inflate High Point’s lead to 9-6, Davidson then added an RBI single off Ryan Langford to make it 10-6.

Mendoza and Burt each finished the day with three hits and three RBI apiece with Mendoza and Davidson adding two RBI.

The Rockers will have two days off before returning to action on Wednesday, June 18 at 5 p.m. for a doubleheader with the Staten Island FerryHawks at Truist Point.

 

NOTES: The Rockers have signed four pitchers who made their club debut on this road trip: LHP Pat Gardner and righties Daniel Frontera, Daniel Blair and Jake Gilbert . . . The Rockers have now won six straight games, their longest winning streak of the season . . . Coupled with a six-game series sweep at Long Island to close the 2024 season, High Point has now taken nine straight from the Ducks at Fairfield Properties Ballpark . . . The Rockers are 22-5 in road games while the York Revolution are second with 15 wins away from home . . . The Rockers have won seven straight road games and 11 of their last 12 away from Truist Point . . . High Point’s pitching staff owns the lowest ERA in the Atlantic League at 4.23 after posting a 2.83 ERA in the month of June . . . High Point is 8-4 thus far in June.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The High Point Rockers rallied from a 5-0 deficit to finish off a sweep of the Staten Island FerryHawks with a 6-5 win on Thursday night at SIUH Community Park. Braxton Davidson hit a three-run double in the top of the ninth to erase a 5-3 deficit and put the Rockers ahead for good.

At 30-12, the Rockers set a club record for the fewest games needed to reach 30 wins. The 2023 club was 30-15. High Point maintains an 8.5 game lead over Southern Maryland in the race for the South Division of the Atlantic League.

The game got off to a rocky start when High Point starter Erich Uelmen had to leave the game with an injury after facing just one batter. Uelmen threw three pitches to Staten Island’s leadoff hitter Damon Dues who popped out to third. After two pitches to Shayne Fontana, Uelmen summoned the trainer and manager Jamie Keefe to the mound before exiting through the dugout.

The Rockers brought in newly-signed Jake Gilbert, a 6-7 right-hander who had pitched in the Cincinnati Reds organization after spending four seasons at the Air Force Academy. Gilbert allowed a pair of runs in the first and another in the third before leaving for Braeden Ogle and the Rockers found themselves trailing 5-0 after four innings.

High Point broke into the scoring column in the sixth on Drew Mendoza’s solo homer, his 10^th of the season. The Rockers closed the gap to 5-3 with a pair of runs in the seventh when Staten Island’s Trayson Kubo walked Aidan Brewer and D.J. Burt. The runners each moved up a base on Mendoza’s fielder’s choice and Brewer then scored when Kubo’s pickoff throw to second sailed into centerfield. Burt would score on a wild pitch and the Rockers trailed by two.

Jameson McGrane threw two innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Stevie Branche (W, 1-1) came on in the eighth and struck out the side.

With two outs in the ninth, FerryHawks reliever Robbie Baker (L, 2-2) walked Ben Aklinski before Luis Gonzalez beat out an infield single to short. Max Viera drew a walk to load the bases, bringing Davidson to the plate. Davidson lined a double over the head of the centerfielder to clear the bases and give the Rockers a 6-5 lead.

Zach Vennaro entered in the bottom of the ninth struck out two batters while pitching around a walk in earning his first save of the season.

The Rockers will continue their road swing to New York, opening a three-game set at the Long Island Ducks on Friday night at 6:35 p.m.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The High Point Rockers used a pair of three-run homers to sweep a doubleheader from the Staten Island FerryHawks on Wednesday night at SIUH Community Park. The Rockers won the opener 5-4 and took the nightcap 5-1. Max Viera provided the Game 1 critical homer while Ben Aklinski did the same in Game 2.

The sweep moves the Rockers to 29-12 and maintains their eight-game lead over second place Southern Maryland and Charleston (21-20).

The Rockers took the opener 5-4 behind Viera’s fifth inning three-run homer. High Point had trailed 3-0 after three as Staten Island’s Matt Scheffler hit a two-run double and Mark Contreras contributed an RBI single.

The Rockers scored their first run in the fourth when Jack Conley hit a solo homer to bring the score to 3-1

After Viera gave the Rockers a 4-3 lead with his fifth inning homer, the FerryHawks knotted the game in the bottom of the fifth on Scheffler’s solo homer.

The Rockers won the game in the top of the sixth when Drew Mendoza drew a bases loaded walk off Staten Island reliever Robbie Baker (L, 2-1).

High Point starter Matt Solter (W, 6-1) became the first six-game winner in the Atlantic League as he scattered seven hits over five innings of work, walking two and striking out seven. Jameson McGrane (S, 1) pitched around a single to retire the side in the seventh and earn his first save of the season.

 

In the nightcap, Mendoza staked the Rockers to a 1-0 lead with a first inning homer off Staten Island starter Christian Allegretti (L, 3-1). Staten Island tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth when Shayne Fontana singled hom Tim Borden off High Point reliever Daniel Blair (W, 1-0).

The Rockers broke the 1-1 tie in the sixth when Aklinski singled and eventually scored from third on a wild pitch by Allegretti.

 

In the top of the seventh, Hawks reliever Luis Guzman walked Nolan Watson to start the inning. Watson moved to second when D.J. Burt was hit by a pitch and Aklinski then blasted a three-run homer to provide the insurance needed in the 5-1 win.

Tommy Doyle made his first start as a Rocker and held the Hawks to just two hits over four innings while walking four and striking out one.  Zach Vennaro followed Blair to the mound and struck out two in his one inning of work while Steve Branche struck out the side in the seventh to seal the win.

NOTES: The Rockers have swept all four doubleheaders this season and are now 8-0 . . . Daniel Blair was signed over the weekend and made his first appearance on Wednesday. Blair most recently pitched in the San Francisco Giants organization after pitching collegiately at Winthrop and the University of Texas . . . On Wednesday, the Rockers signed 6-7 righty Jake Gilbert who pitched for four seasons at the Air Force Academy . . . The Rockers will send RHP Erich Uelmen (2-1, 2.70) to the mound in the third and final game of the series.