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.

by Alexis Taylor

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers fell short in a high-scoring affair against the Gastonia Baseball Club, dropping a 9-8 decision on Thursday night at Truist Point in front of 2,153 fans.

Gastonia wasted no time getting the bats hot against Rockers’ starter Matt Solter (L, 1-2), taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kevin Watson Jr. delivered a two-run triple, driving in the game’s first runs.

In the top of the third, Gastonia broke the game open with a six-run inning. With Hidekel Gonzalez on first after a broken-bat single, Gastonia pushed two more runs across with a timely RBI hit. Jake Gatewood followed with his second single of the night, setting the stage for Jacob Robson, who delivered a bases-loaded single to center, driving in three runs. Steven Flores capped the outburst with an RBI double to center, putting Gastonia up 8-0.

The Rockers’ offense came alive in the bottom of the third. After a DJ Burt walk and a single by Martin Figueroa, Ryan Grotjohn laced a double to right, sending Burt home for High Point’s first run. Quincy Nieporte followed with a two-run triple, cutting the deficit to 8-3. Connor Owings hit a sac fly to score Nieporte, tightening the score to 8-4.

Michael Martinez launched his first home run of the season for High Point, a 354-foot shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth. Burt singled, Figueroa walked, and Gastonia’s starter, Jake Miednick, loaded the bases with another walk. However, Nieporte couldn’t capitalize, leaving the Rockers empty-handed.

After Julian Smith replaced Miednick on the mound in the top of the fifth, Ben Aklinski hit his 20th home run of the season, the second of the night for the Rockers. Martinez followed with a double down the left field line, and Burt’s single brought him home, cutting Gastonia’s lead to 8-7.

The Baseball Club added an insurance run in the seventh when Gatewood doubled home Watson Jr., making it 9-7. Cory Thompson (W, 4-0) kept the Rockers hitless during his two innings of relief in the sixth and seventh.

High Point’s DJ Johnson took the mound in the eighth and held Gastonia scoreless, thanks to a diving catch by Grotjohn and a crucial strikeout of Watson Jr. The Rockers kept the pressure on in the bottom of the eighth, with Evan Edwards scoring on Grotjohn’s out, making it a one-run game at 9-8.

Despite putting runners in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, the Rockers couldn’t complete the comeback. Gabe Klobosits (S, 9), reliever for Gastonia, shut down the High Point offense, securing the 9-8 win for the Baseball Club.

The Rockers (20-14) are 2.5 games behind Charleston (22-12) in the Atlantic League’s South Division second half pennant race and a half-game back of Gastonia (20-14).

The Rockers head to Charleston to take on the Dirty Birds this weekend, and will face Gastonia again next Tuesday when they return home to Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Gastonia’s Justin Wylie hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning to give the Baseball Club a 3-2 win over the High Point Rockers on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

With Charleston taking an 11-9 decision from Lexington, the Rockers fell two games out of first place in the Atlantic League’s South Division. Charleston leads the division with a 21-10 second half record while the Rockers are second at 19-12. Gastonia is third at 18-14, 1.5 games behind High Point.

High Point starter Derrick Adams, making his first start at Truist Point, was perfect through three innings and retired the first 11 batters of the game. Josh Stowers doubled with two outs in the fourth and he scored on a single by Jake Gatewood for a 1-0 Gastonia lead.

The Rockers knotted the game at 1-1 in their half of the fourth off Gastonia starter Morgan McSweeney. Connor Owings drew a one out walk before McSweeney walked Evan Edwards. Trent Fennell came in from the bullpen and walked Michael Martinez to load the bases. Aklinski came home on a Fennell wild pitch.

A double by Eric De La Rosa to lead off the sixth led to Gastonia taking a 2-1 lead. De La Rosa moved to third on Richie Martin’s ground out to first then scored on a wild pitch by High Point reliever Justin Lewis.

Aklinski scored the tying run in the bottom of the sixth, reaching base after being hit by a pitch from Cory Thompson. Thompson then walked Edwards and Martinez bounced to a 4-6-3 double play that moved Aklinski to third. A wild pitch then brought home the tying run.

Will Carter put Gastonia down in order in the eighth and closer Dakota Chalmers struck out the first two men he faced in the ninth before Wylie launched his homer to left for a 3-2 Gastonia advantage. Gabe Klobosits (W, 5-4) struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the Gastonia win.

Gastonia finished with five hits in the game and the Rockers had four.

Game two of the series will take place on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Charleston Dirty Birds hit three home runs and turned those into a 6-2 win over the High Point Rockers Sunday afternoon at Truist Point. The win puts Charleston back in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic League’s South Division at 20-10 while the Rockers drop a game back at 19-11.

Charleston wasted no time in going on the offensive. Lead-off hitter Phillip Ervin singled to left on the first pitch he saw from Rockers starter Jeremy Rhoades (L, 2-3) before Joseph Rosa homered to right for a 2-0 lead.

High Point cut the deficit in half in the second when Ben Aklinski singled and Charleston starter Adrian Almeida (W, 6-2) issued walks to Trey Martin and Brian Parreira to load the bases. But Almeida induced a weak grounder to short from Gilberto Jimenez that resulted in an out at second with Aklinski crossing the plate. D.J. Burt grounded out to end the inning.

Charleston increased its lead to 4-1 in the third on a two-run homer by Tillman Pugh.

Rhoades exited after the fifth inning, having allowed four runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out two.

In the eighth, with Kyle Halbohn on the mound for the Rockers, Rusber Estrada hit a two-out solo shot to right to give the Dirty Birds a 5-1 lead. In the top of the ninth, a fielding error by Burt led to an RBI single from Rosa to make it a 6-1 ballgame.

Martin Figueroa homered to lead off the ninth for the Rockers, marking his third consecutive game with a homer. But reliever Ricardo Gomez retired the final three hitters to secure the win. With two outs, Connor Owings’ hit a deep drive to right field that Pugh leaped against the fence in right and brought a sure home run back for the final out of the game.

The Rockers will enjoy an off day on Monday and then start a three-game home series with Gastonia on Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. Gastonia trails the Rockers by 2.5 games in the South Division second half race.