HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point Rockers scored seven runs in the first five innings and claimed their second straight win over Gastonia by a final of 7-1 on Thursday night at Truist Point. Jeremy Rhoades, making his first start since May 20, went five innings and scattered six hits while striking out six as he improved to 2-2 on the season.

The Rockers struck in the second inning when Trey Martin singled and scored on a Brian Parreira double.

Ben Aklinksi led-off the third frame for the Rockers by drawing a walk, then advancing to second on a balk by Gastonia starter Mike Wright, Jr. (L, 2-4). Quincy Latimore singled home Aklinski to give the Rockers a 2-0 advantage.

Gastonia scored its lone run in the fourth inning when Eric De La Rosa drove singled home Clint Coulter who had doubled and moved to third on an outfield error.

Gilberto Jimenez launched a three-run homer in the fourth as the Rockers took a 5-1 lead. And a two-run double off the bat of Evan Edwards in the fifth put High Point on top 5-1.

Kyle Halbohn pitched a scoreless sixth for the Rockers and Nate Espelin kept Gastonia from scoring in the seventh and eighth. Newcomer Nate Griep made his first appearance as a Rocker, retiring Gastonia in order in the ninth.

The Rockers are now 12-5 in the second half and in command of first place in the Atlantic League’s South Division. High Point is one game ahead of Charleston (11-6) and three games in front of Gastonia (9-8) this half.

High Point is set to play the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Friday, July 26th with a 7:05 p.m. start. That will launch a three-game weekend series at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Md.

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The High Point Rockers blasted three home runs on Tuesday night to power their way to a 9-4 win over the Gastonia Baseball Club at Truist Point. The Rockers led from start to finish and scored multiple runs in the second, third and fourth innings to secure the win.

Rookie Aidan Brewer hit his first homer with one aboard in the second to put the Rockers in front 2-0. Gastonia’s Richie Martin hit a solo shot in the third to cut the margin to 2-1.

High Point went ahead 6-1 with a four-run outburst in the third. Connor Owings hit a two-run homer and Evan Edwards a solo shot while Brian Parreira brought in a run with a sac fly.

Gastonia responded in the fourth with a solo homer from Justin Wylie and an RBI single by Eric De La Rosa to pull the GBC within three at 6-3.

The Rockers topped off their scoring with three more runs in the fourth. Walks to D.J. Burt and Martin Figueroa put two aboard before Ben Aklinski drove both of them in with a triple to center. Owings added a sac fly to score Aklinski and give High Point a 9-3 lead.

Martin and Clint Coulter each singled in the seventh while Rockers reliever Will Carter walked Jake Gatewood to load the bases. Martin scored on a passed ball but Carter was able to induce Marc Flores into a 3-6-1 double play to end the threat.

Rockers starter Jonah Scolaro (W, 5-1) pitched 5.2 innings before being relieved after his 99^th pitch. Scolaro allowed eight hits and three runs but struck out seven and helped Gastonia strand six men on base in the first six innings.

Zach Vennaro pitched around a walk and a hit batter to keep Gastonia scoreless in the eighth. Dakota Calmers allowed a ninth inning double to Gatewood but he was stranded when Flores went down swinging for the final out of the game.

Gastonia starter Ryan Conroy (L, 4-5) allowed 10 hits and nine runs, eight earned, over his four innings of work with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.

Owings finished the night with three RBI on a single, triple and sac fly. Aklinski and Brewer each drove in two runs for High Point. Wylie, Gastonia’s second baseman, had three hits including a double and homer, and drove in one run.

High Point moved to two games in front of Gastonia in the Atlantic League’s South Division second half pennant race. The Rockers (11-5 in the second half) improved to 47-32 overall while Gastonia fell to 9-7 and 55-24. The Charleston Dirty Birds are now one game back of High Point after starting the second half with a 10-6 record.

Game three of the series will start at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday at Truist Point. It will be Thirsty Thursday with beverage specials at all concession stands.

NOTES: The Rockers turned a double play for the 11th consecutive game, extending a club record… High Point turned a 6-4-3 double play in the first and a 3-6-1 in the seventh… Aidan Brewer hit his first professional home run, a two-run shot to left in the second inning to give the Rockers a 2-0 lead… On Wednesday, the Rockers released RHP Ryder Giles and signed RHP Nate Griep. Griep was with Staten Island earlier this season… RHP Cooper Casad went on the injured list with a toe injury, giving the Rockers six players on the IL… Also on the injured list are RHP Taylor Guerrieri, LHP Braeden Ogle, INF Colin Moran, RHP Jeremy Rhoades and C Jake Washer… Rhoades should come off the list on Thursday and is expected to earn his first start since May 10.. Thursday may be Quincy Latimore’s final game for the Rockers this season as his partner, Yolanda, is expecting a child any day. The only Rocker to appear in a game in all five seasons, Latimore is sitting on 296 hits as a Rocker and 59 home runs, both marks are the third-most in team history.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Gastonia Baseball Club scored three runs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and would go on to defeat the High Point Rockers 4-1 on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

Gastonia struck first with a lead-off solo homer from Jake Gatwood in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning Gastonia starter Gunnar Kines allowed a single and a pair of walks to load the bases but the Rockers could not capitalize, leaving all three runners stranded. 

High Point responded in the fourth frame when Evan Edwards smacked a solo homer to tie the game 1-1. It was Edwards 10th home run of the season.

Gastonia scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Richie Martin was hit by a pitch from Jacob Edwards (L, 6-2) and stole second before moving to third on an infield groundout by Marc Flores. A walk to Gatewood put runners on the corners before Justin Wylie singled to give Gastonia a 2-1 lead. With two aboard, Clint Coulter hit a fly ball to center that High Point’s Ben Aklinski lost in the lights. The ball fell in for a two-run double and a 4-1 Gastonia advantage.

Five Gastonia pitchers held the Rockers to just four hits in the game, two from Edwards including a sixth inning double. D.J. Burt was stranded after a single in the third and Connor Owings had a two-out single in the first.

Gastonia’s Brett Matthews (2-0) pitched two innings in relief of starter Gunnar Kines to earn the win. Gabe Klobosits (S, 7) set the Rockers down in order in the ninth to earn the save.

The Rockers are 10-6 in the second half and hold a one-game lead in the Atlantic League’s South Division race over Gastonia (9-5). Charleston (9-6) is tied for second as well.

The High Point Rockers face the Gastonia Baseball Club in game two of the three-game series on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

NOTES: The Rockers turned a double play for the 10^th consecutive game, a club record… Quincy Latimore was hitless on Tuesday and has 296 career hits as a Rocker… The Rockers are now 1-9 vs. Gastonia this year with 17 meeting left in the second half.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Quincy Latimore hit a two-run homer and five High Point pitchers held Southern Maryland to just three hits in a 3-0 Rockers win on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point.

Neil Ramirez (W, (4-3) kept the Blue Crabs hitless into the fifth when Michael Baca blooped a soft single to left to record the first hit of the day. Ramirez pitched through the fifth and left with six strikeouts, one walk and just one hit allowed. Garrett Schilling, Zach Vennaro, Will Carter and Dakota Chalmers each threw a shutout inning in relief with Chalmers earning his fourth save of the season.

The Rockers didn’t collect their first hit off Southern Maryland starter Garrett Martin (L, 5-5) until Ben Aklinski led off the fifth inning with a single. Latimore then lined a shot over the left field wall to stake the Rockers to a 2-0 lead.

High Point added an insurance run in the seventh when shortstop Aidan Brewer, a recent signee for the Rockers who played at UNCG this past spring, doubled to center and moved to third when centerfielder Josh Broughton didn’t handle the carom off the wall. Gilberto Jimenez then lined a soft single to left to give the Rockers a 3-0 advantage.

Latimore was the only Rocker with multiple hits, going two-for-three with the homer and two RBI.

The win puts the Rockers two games in front of Gastonia in the Atlantic League’s South Division second half pennant race. High Point is 10-4 in the second half and 46-31 on the season while Gastonia, which lost 14-7 on Sunday, is 8-6 in the second half after being swept at Charleston over the weekend.

The Rockers will enjoy a day off on Monday and then begin a critical three-game homestand with Gastonia on Tuesday night at 6:35 at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers overcame a 5-3 deficit with a four-run seventh inning and went on to defeat Southern Maryland 7-5 on Saturday night at Truist Point. The Rockers rapped three doubles and a homer during the decisive seventh inning.

The win gives the Rockers sole possession of first place in the Atlantic League’s South Division in the second half at 9-4, a game ahead of Gastonia (8-5) which dropped a 7-6 decision at Charleston on Saturday. High Point improved to 45-31 overall.

High Point scored first when Gilberto Jimenez hit an RBI double in the second inning to score D.J. Burt who had singled with two outs. The Blue Crabs jumped ahead 2-1 in the third on an two-run double from Michael Wielansky. A solo homer in the top of the sixth by Southern Maryland’s Anthony Brocato put the Crabs up 3-1.

With rain drizzling throughout the game, the Rockers knotted the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth. Trey Martin and Clayton Mehlbauer drew a walk from Southern Maryland starter Ian Kahaloa. The Crabs then brought in Cody Thompson (L, 2-2) from the bullpen and Burt greeted him with a single, scoring Martin. Jimenez then singled to bring in Mehlbauer.

High Point starter Cam Bedrosian departed after allowing a solo homer to Miles Williams that put SMD ahead 4-3. Jacob Edwards (W, 6-1) allowed an unearned run in the seventh as SMD took a 5-3 lead.

High Point’s four-run seventh inning came at Thompson’s expense. With one out, Connor Owings doubled and Quincy Latimore popped a two-run homer to tie the game 5-5. With two outs, Brian Parreira doubled into the rightfield corner and Mehlbauer reached on an infield single. Burt’s double into the left-center gap scored both runners and left the Rockers with a 7-5 lead.

Kyle Halbohn retired the Crabs in order in the eighth behind a 5-4-3 double play and Dakota Chalmers induced three infield ground outs in the ninth to earn his third save of the year.

Burt finished the night with three hits and three RBI with Latimore and Jimenez each driving in a pair of runs. Wielansky had two hits and three RBI on the night for Southern Maryland.

Game three of the series is slated for a 4:05 p.m. start on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point

NOTES: The game was delayed 1:20 prior to the first pitch due to rain.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Three Southern Maryland pitchers combined to throw a five-hit shutout as the Blue Crabs downed the High Point Rockers 2-0 on Friday night in front of a crowd of 2,135 at Truist Point.

Spencer Johnston (W, 5-1) went seven innings and struck out nine for SMD while walking just one. Johnston retired the final seven hitters he faced before exiting before the top of the eighth. Jason Creasy and Endrys Briceno (S, 10) hurled the final two innings and did not allow a base runner. High Point didn’t land a base runner after Connor Owings drew a two-out walk in the fifth.

The Rockers loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth but Johnston struck out Quincy Latimore to escape the jam.

Matt Solter (L, 0-1), activated earlier in the day, pitched very respectably, allowing just four hits over his six innings while walking three and fanning four.

The Blue Crabs tallied a single run in the third when Aaron Hill singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Caleb Marquez. In the sixth, Juan Kelly worked a two-out walk from Solter, stole second, and scored on a single by Miles Williams.

Ben Aklinski had three of High Point’s five hits. He was stranded in the first after a single, was left on base after a two-out double in the third and singled in the fifth.

Game two of the series is scheduled for a 6:35 start on Saturday at Truist Point. It will be Ben Aklinski Bobblehead Night with the first 1,000 fans receiving a free Bobblehead of Aklinski.