WALDORF, Md. (August 24, 2024) – High Point manager shook up his line-up and the Rockers responded with an overwhelming 11-2 win over Southern Maryland on Saturday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.

Left fielder Gilberto Jimenez had four hits to lead the Rockers’ 15-hit attack. High Point hit a season-high seven doubles while Jimenez, Trey Martin and Aidan Brewer all rocked home runs.

Jimenez scored three times and hit a pair of doubles while driving in a pair of runs. Ryan Grotjohn had three hits while Michael Martinez and Brewer each drove in a pair of runs.

The win leaves the Rockers at 23-19 in the second half, 5.5 games behind South Division-leading Charleston (29-14), which defeated Staten Island on Saturday night.

The Rockers used back-to-back doubles from Connor Owings and Martinez to score a pair of runs in the top of the first. Jimenez led off the game with a single and then stole second base. After Grotjohn flew out to center, Owings doubled off the wall in center to plate Jimenez. Martinez lifted a fly ball down the right field line that fell just out of the reach of any Blue Crab as Owings scored and Martinez wound up on second. Evan Edwards then singled home Martinez as the Rockers took a 3-0 lead.

High Point starter Matt Solter (W, 2-2) put the first three Blue Crab batters on base via a pair of hits and a walk. Anthony Brocato grounded to Martinez at third who stepped on the bag but his throw to the plate was not in time, allowing a run to score and leaving High Point with a 3-1 lead.

In the third Southern Maryland’s Josh Broughton singled, stole second and took third following a throwing error by Rockers catcher Nolan Watson. Broughton then scored on a sac fly off the bat of Jomar Reyes.

Trey Martin hit a mammoth homer to left off Southern Maryland starter Garrett Martin (L, 6-8) with one out in the fourth to push High Point’s lead to 4-2. Brewer followed with a double and scored on a Jimenez double to put the Rockers up 5-2.

Watson was hit by a pitch with one out in the sixth, moved to third on a double by Jimenez and then scored on a sac fly from D.J. Burt. After Alex Merithew replaced Martin, Grotjohn doubled home Jimenez for a 7-2 Rockers lead.

Aidan Brewer homered with Martin aboard in the top of the seventh as High Point surged to a 9-2 lead. Jimenez added a solo shot in the eighth with Martinez driving in Grotjohn to put the Rockers up 11-2.

The third and final game of the series is slated for a 2:05 p.m. start on Sunday at Regency Furniture Stadium.

NOTES: Manager Jamie Keefe shook up his line-up on Saturday, starting Gilberto Jimenez in left field, D.J. Burt in center and Trey Martin in right. The infield included Evan Edwards at first, Aidan Brewer at second, Ryan Grotjohn at short and Michael Martinez at third with Nolan Watson behind the plate…High Point will send Cam Bedrosian (6-3, 2.75) to the mound on Sunday to face Blue Crab righty Spencer Johnston (5-5, 5.86).

HIGH POINT, N.C. (August 22, 2024) – Connor Owings and Evan Edwards each belted two run homers to help the High Point Rockers to a 7-3 win over the Gastonia Baseball Club n Thursday night at Truist Point.

Owings finished the night with three hits, including a double, and three RBI, as the Rockers ended the series by taking two of three from the Baseball Club.

Jeremy Rhoades (W, 4-3) fanned six over his 5.1 innings of work and yielded just five hits and three runs in earning the win. Gastonia’s Gunnar Kines allowed seven runs on five hits in his four innings of work.

Gastonia took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run homer from Jacob Robson. The Rockers responded in the bottom of the second when Quincy Nieporte singled and scored on Edwards’ homer to tie the game. The Rockers added three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-2 lead. D.J. Burt doubled and scored on a single by Ryan Grotjohn before Owings blasted a two-run homer.

Grotjohn doubled and scored on an Owings single in the fifth to push the Rockers’ lead to 6-2. Gastonia’s final run came in the top of the sixth when Marc Flores singled and moved to third on a pair of walks. Eric De La Rosa then singled home Flores.

High Point’s final run came in the bottom of the eighth as Burt singled, stole second, then scored from second on a wild pitch.

The Rockers (22-18) remain in third place in the Atlantic League’s South Division, one game behind Gastonia (23-17) and 4.5 games behind Charleston (27-14).

The Rockers now embark on their longest road trip of the season, playing the next nine games on the road. High Point returns to Truist Point to open a six-game homestand against the Lexington Legends on Tuesday, September 3.

by Alexis Taylor

HIGH POINT, N.C. (August 21, 2024) – In a game dominated by pitching and defense, the High Point Rockers fell 2-1 to the Gastonia Baseball Club in an 11-inning thriller at Truist Point on Wednesday night. Gastonia’s Jake Gatewood singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 11^th and the Rockers were unable to respond in the bottom half of the inning.

Rockers’ starter Jonah Scolaro set the tone early, striking out two in the first inning and working around a hit-by-pitch to retire Gastonia without a run. High Point’s bats struggled to find heat though, and Gastonia’s Jake Miednik retired the side in order in both the first and second innings.

The bottom of the second saw Rockers manager Jamie Keefe ejected after a heated exchange with home plate umpire, adding to the tension of an already tight game. However, High Point’s lineup continued to be stumped by Miednik, going down in order for the second straight inning.

Scolaro and the Rockers’ defense remained sharp in the top of the third, sending Gastonia down 1-2-3 once more. In the bottom half, High Point appeared ready to break through after DJ Burt singled to center and stole second. A fielding error allowed Martin Figueroa to reach first and move Burt to third, but a fly out to center ended the Rockers’ threat, leaving the game scoreless.

The defensive stalemate continued into the fourth, as High Point turned a crucial double play to erase back-to-back walks by Scolaro. The Rockers couldn’t capitalize on their momentum, however, as Gastonia’s pitching retired the side once again in the bottom half.

Scolaro was dominant in the fifth, striking out Gatewood and forcing two flyouts to maintain the scoreless tie. The Rockers remained frustrated at the plate, going down 1-2-3 for the fourth time.

In the top of the sixth, Gastonia threatened after a walk and a single, but Scolaro responded by fanning two batters, keeping the game scoreless. However, High Point couldn’t find their offensive spark and the inning ended quietly.

Jacob Edwards relieved Scolaro in the seventh, following Scolaro’s impressive six innings with eight strikeouts, allowing only one hit and three walks. Edwards quickly found himself in a jam with the bases loaded, but the Rockers’ defense delivered a make or break double play to escape unscathed.

High Point’s offense showed some life in the bottom of the seventh with Nieporte’s single, but it wasn’t enough to break the scoreless tie. Quiet bats continued through the eighth inning, with Austin Warner on the mound for the Rockers. Warner walked Watson Jr., who advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, but Gastonia failed to get any gain.

The game entered extra innings after neither team could score in the ninth. Gastonia struck first in the top of the 10th when Watson Jr. hit an RBI double to score Martorano, giving Gastonia a 1-0 lead. However, the Rockers responded in the bottom half when Evan Edwards’ sac fly brought Connor Owings home to tie the game 1-1.

Gastonia reclaimed the lead in the top of the 11th with a double by Gatewood that drove in Marc Flores, making it 2-1. The Rockers had one last chance in the bottom of the inning, but Aklinski flew out, sealing the 2-1 victory for Gastonia.

Despite the loss, the Rockers’ pitching was a bright spot, with Scolaro and the bullpen combining for 13 strikeouts.

High Point (21-18) remains 4.5 games behind Charleston (26-14) in the South Division. The Rockers hold a half-game lead over Lancaster in the wild card race.

The Rockers return to Truist Point on Thursday looking for a series win against Gastonia Baseball Club).

by Alexis Taylor

HIGH POINT, N.C. (August 20, 2024) – The High Point Rockers secured a decisive 5-2 victory over the Gastonia Baseball Club on Tuesday night at Truist Point, powered by a dominant pitching performance from starter Cam Bedrosian and timely hitting from their lineup.

Bedrosian was electric on the mound, recording 11 strikeouts over six innings while allowing just one run and a pair of hits. The single flaw came in the top of the second inning when Justin Wylie, the league’s home run leader, launched a solo shot, his 31^st of the year, to give Gastonia an early 1-0 lead.

Gastonia starter Harrison Francis (L, 1-3) struggled with his control, walking the bases loaded in the first but escaping unscathed.

The Rockers quickly responded to Gastonia’s initial run by scoring in the bottom half of the inning with aggressive baserunning. Francis again walked the first two batters of the inning before Evan Edwards scored on a groundout by Brian Parreira, tying the game at 1-1. Moments later, Michael Martinez crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice by DJ Burt, giving the Rockers a 2-1 lead. Francis retired Martin Figueroa on a swinging strikeout to end the inning.

Bedrosian stayed in control, retiring Gastonia in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The Rockers extended their lead in the third with a Quincy Nieporte single, driving in Ryan Grotjohn to make it 3-1.

High Point continued to apply pressure in the fifth inning. After a leadoff single by Ben Aklinski, Nieporte drove him home with a line-drive single to left field, pushing the Rockers’ advantage to 4-1. Francis was relieved by Trent Fennell after 4.1 innings, but the damage had already been done.

In the seventh inning, Edwards ripped his 14th home run of the season, a solo blast that pushed the Rockers ahead 5-1. The bullpen kept the lead secure, with Garrett Schilling and Will Carter each pitching a scoreless inning in relief of Bedrosian.

Despite loading the bases in the top of the eighth, Gastonia couldn’t capitalize until a home run from Jacob Robson in the ninth off reliever Zach Vennaro. High Point’s defense and pitching held strong, maintaining their three-run lead.

The Rockers improved to 21-17, moving to within a game of second place Gastonia (22-16). High Point will look to build on this momentum as they continue their homestand against Gastonia on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers snapped a six-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds on Saturday night at GoMart Ballpark.

The win brought the Rockers (20-16) a game closer to first place in the South Division. Charleston (24-13) continues to lead but by just 3.5 games. Gastonia (21-15) remains a game in front of High Point.

Rain delayed the start of the game and when a starting time was announced, there was insufficient time for each club’s starting pitcher to get ready. So both the Rockers and Dirty Birds began the game with “openers” on the mound, reliever Kyle Halbohn for High Point and reliever Joan Matinez for Charleston. Each of them went two innings.

Ben Aklinski put the Rockers ahead 1-0 in the first inning with a solo homer off Martinez, , his 21^st of the season.

Charleston tied the game in the bottom of the first as Halbohn allowed three singles to open the game, loading the bases. Rusber Estrada’s fly ball turned into a sacrifice fly for the Dirty Birds, tying the game.

The Rockers took a 3-1 lead in the fifth when Connor Owings singled and moved to second base on a wild pitch. D.J. Burt then hit a two-run homer off the light stanchion in left to move the Rockers in front.

Phillip Ervin tied the game with a two-run homer to right off Jeremy Rhoades (W, 3-3) in the bottom of the fifth.

High Point scored three times in the seventh off Adrian Almeida (L, 6-3) when Trey Martin walked, moved to second on a ground out by Brian Parreira and scored on Martin Figueroa’s single to left. Ryan Grotjohn followed with a single, moving Figueroa to second. Bryan Quillens replaced Adrian Almeida on the mound for Charleston and walked Aklinski to load the bases. Quincy Nieporte then rolled a single up the middle, scoring Figueroa and Grotjohn and giving the Rockers a 6-3 lead.

Rhoades went six innings and scattered seven hits while walking two and striking out nine.

Garrett Schilling came on to earn the save in the ninth. After allowing a single and a walk, Schilling struck out Ervin before Keon Barnum sent a one-hopper back to the mound and Schilling initiated a 1-6-3 game-ending double play.

The fourth and final game of the series is slated for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. at GoMart Park. The Rockers then return home to face Gastonia on Tuesday, August 20 at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

NOTES: Rain delayed the start of the game for 45 minutes. Each team selected a reliever to start the game before bringing in the scheduled starter in the third inning. Charleston’s Adrian Almeida entered the game in the top of the third and High Point’s Jeremy Rhoades came on in the bottom of the third… Ryan Grotjohn singled in the top of the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest by a Rocker this season.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers dropped both ends of a doubleheader at GoMart Park on Friday to the South Division-leading Charleston Dirty Birds, falling 8-7 in the first game and 6-5 in the nightcap.

The opener, which was the resumption of a suspended game from August 4, began with Charleston holding a 7-4 lead in the second inning. The Rockers then rallied before falling 8-7. The nightcap was the opposite: High Point took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth before the Dirty Birds scored four times to take the 6-5 decision.

The sweep leaves the Rockers in third place in the Atlantic League South Division at 19-16 while Charleston increased its lead to 4.5 games at 24-12. Gastonia (20-16) is in second, a game ahead of High Point and 3.5 behind Charleston. The Rockers have dropped six consecutive games.

High Point starter Jonah Scolaro had allowed seven runs in the first inning but the Rockers had battled back to make it a 7-4 game when a problem with the pitching mound caused the game to be put on hold.

In the continuation, Scolaro was back on the mound and much more effective. Scolaro allowed just four hits and one run over the final six innings and finished the game with eight strikeouts. Scolaro on Friday allowed only a solo homer to Matt Hibbert in the fourth as Charleston’s lead grew to 8-4.

And while Scolaro was holding the Dirty Birds in check, the Rockers got their bats going. Martin Figueroa hit a sac fly in the seventh that made it an 8-5 game. In the top of the ninth, the Rockers scored twice to pull to within a run. Trey Martin singled, Gilberto Jimenez was hit by a pitch and Brian Parreira doubled to right to bring home both runs. Charleston reliever Seth Nightingale then walked D.J. Burt and hit Figueroa with a pitch to load the bases. However, Ben Aklinski grounded into a 6-2-5-2 double play with both Parreira and Burt put out at home plate. Connor Owings popped out to end the threat and leave Charleston with an 8-7 win.

In the nightcap, Charleston starter Kevin Smith walked the bases loaded to open the game before a sac fly from Owings and an RBI single from Michael Martinez gave High Point a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, Phillip Ervin hit a solo homer and Tillman Pugh slapped an RBI single to tie the game. But High Point starter Stephen Ridings, who has been bothered by a blister on his pitching hand that most recently cost him two starts, again experienced a problem that chased him from the contest after just 2.2 innings and the score tied. Jacob Edwards came on to replace Ridings and held Charleston scoreless through the fifth, allowing two hits while striking out three.

The Rockers rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth. Martinez singled and scored on a double by Trey Martin. A single by Burt brought home Martin and another single by Ryan Grotjohn plated Burt to give High Point a 5-3 lead.

Dakota Chalmers came on in the sixth inning of the scheduled seven inning contest and allowed the Dirty Birds to score four times on two hits and four walks, taking a 6-5 lead. Will Carter was summoned from the bullpen and hit the first batter he faced, Pugh, to load the bases. Rusber Estrada then grounded out to end the inning. Charleston’s Ricardo Gomez worked around a hit and a walk in the top of the seventh to earn the save.

High Point and Charleston will play again on Saturday night at GoMart Park at 6:35 p.m.