HIGH POINT, N.C. – Brian Parreira slapped a bases-loaded single to right field in the bottom of the 11^th inning to give the High Point Rockers a thrilling 5-4 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds. The win put the Rockers and Dirty Birds in a tie for first place in the Atlantic League’s South Division.

Parreira’s game-winning hit capped a night that saw the top South Division contenders battle through 11 innings. Both clubs are now tied for first with identical 19-10 second half records.

The Rockers took a 2-0 lead in the first when Martin Figueroa doubled to lead-off the bottom half of the inning and scored on a single by Ryan Grotjohn who was playing his first game in High Point since July 3. Grotjohn then stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch by Charleston starter Cristofer Ogando.

High Point starter Jonah Scolaro matched his season high with eight strikeouts in working the first five innings. He ran into trouble in the third when Charleston’s Joseph Rosa slammed a two-run homer and Keon Barnum followed with a solo shot to put the ‘Birds up 3-2.

The Rockers tied the game with a solo homer from Figueroa leading off the bottom of the third. Charleston forged a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh when Juan Sanatana doubled and scored on a single by Phillip Ervin.

Trailing by a run, the Rockers tied the game at 4-4 in the eighth as Figueroa drew a walk to start the frame. He moved to third on a single by Quincy Nieporte and scored on a single to center by Connor Owings.

Both clubs were held in check in the ninth and 10^th innings. Rockers reliever Dakota Chalmers (W, 1-1) went three innings and fanned six hitters including five in a row at one point. He did not allow a base runner other than the ghost runner in extra innings via the international tie breaker rule.

Charleston’s Gerald Ogando (L, 2-3) came on in the 11^th with the ghost runner on second. He hit Ben Aklinski with his first pitch then allowed a single by Evan Edwards to load the bases. After striking out Michael Martinez, Parreira singled to right, bringing in Owings with the winning run.

“This was playoff baseball,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “The tension in the ballpark and the atmosphere were just like a playoff game.”

The third and final game of the series is scheduled for a 4:05 p.m. start on Sunday at Truist Point. Fans will receive a free 2024 team photo and the gates will open early at 3 p.m. as players will be available for autographs. A win on Sunday for the Rockers would give them undisputed possession of first place in the ALPB South Division.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point’s Michael Martinez and Martin Figueroa combined for eight hits and four RBI in leading the Rockers to an 8-3 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds on Friday night at Truist Point.

Figueroa was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, banging out a pair of doubles, a single and a two-run homer. Martinez flew out in his first at-bat but then collected two doubles and two singles to account for his four-hit night.

The win put the Rockers (18-10) just a game back of Charleston (19-9) in the race for the South Division second half title.

Charleston took an early lead with a pair of runs off High Point starter Matt Solter (W, 1-1). Tillman Pugh led off the second inning with a double, moved to third on an infield out by Jared Carr then scored on a single by Rusber Estrada. Estrada then scored from first on a double by Jesus Tavarez.

But the Rockers scored eight unanswered runs to take a commanding 8-2 lead after eight innings. During a four-run outburst in the fourth, Ben Aklinski plated a run with a sac fly, Connor Owings delivered an RBI single and Martinez belted a two-run double.

Figueroa’s two-run homer in the fourth put the Rockers ahead 6-2. The score remained that way until Quincy Nieporte hit a mammoth home run to left with Figueroa aboard in the eighth to forge an 8-2 lead.

Charleston added a solo run in the eighth off reliever Jacob Edwards. With two outs, Willy Garcia doubled into the rightfield corner and then scored on a Tavarez single before Edwards ended the game by inducing a groundout to short by Juan Santana.

The Rockers will play the second game of the three-game series against the Dirty Birds on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. The Rockers will celebrate Mental Health Awareness Night with players wearing specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity.

NOTES: Matt Solter earned his first win as a Rocker since beating Lexington on June 22, 2023… Nieporte is now six-for-12 in his three games as a Rocker… Figueroa was bidding to become the first Rocker with a cycle since Michael Russell on July 20, 2022 at Charleston. Figueroa doubled in the third, homered in the fourth, singled in the sixth and was held to a double in the eighth.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers’ game at Gastonia on Thursday, August 8 has been postponed due to inclement weather. The two Atlantic League South Division rivals will meet in a doubleheader on Tuesday, August 27 at Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park.

The Rockers will open a six-game homestand at Truist Point on Friday, August 9 at 6:35 p.m. against the Charleston Dirty Birds. Charleston currently leads the South Division with an 18-8 record, 1.5 games ahead of the Rockers (17-10). Gastonia is in third place in the South Division at 16-12.

The Rockers have won two straight games, having defeated Gastonia 5-4 on Wednesday night.

GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers pounded out 15 hits and Connor Owings went five-for-five as the Rockers won the series opener at Gastonia 8-5 on Tuesday night.

The win pushed the Rockers from third to second in the Atlantic League’s South Division. Charleston continues to lead the division in the second half at 17-8 while High Point, at 16-10, is a half-game in front of Gastonia (16-11).

Owings posted the first five-hit game by a Rocker this season. He had an RBI single in the first, a single in the third, a double in the fifth, a two-run homer in the seventh and a Texas League single in the eighth.

High Point took a 1-0 lead in the first when Martin Figueroa led off the game with a single, moved to second on an infield groundout by Evan Edwards and scored on a single by Owings.

Gastonia tied the game in the bottom of the first when Josh Stowers singled, stole second, and came around on Jake Gatewood’s single.

D.J. Burt scored from third on a passed ball in the fourth to give the Rockers a 2-1 lead. Burt had beaten out an infield single and moved to third on a double by Figueroa.

Gastonia got to High Point starter Jeremy Rhoades for four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. The GBC banged our four consecutive hits, including three straight doubles, in the frame.

Brian Parreira homered to right with Owings aboard in the fifth to pull the Rockers to within one at 5-4.

Rockers reliever Austin Warner (W, 1-1) kept the GBC scoreless through his two innings of work in the fifth and sixth.

Quincy Nieporte, who joined the Rockers earlier in the day after having been in High Point in 2021, singled off reliever Julian Smith (L, 1-1) to lead off the seventh and scored on Owings’ homer that put High Point ahead 6-5. Figueroa then hammered a solo shot off Nick Horvath leading off the eighth to give the Rockers a 7-5 cushion. Ben Aklinski followed with a single and stole second before scoring on Nieporte’s double to center for an 8-5 lead.

Rockers’ reliever Dakota Chalmers pitched around a lead-off walk in the eighth and returned in the ninth and put Gastonia down in order to earn the two inning save, his sixth of the season.

Rhoades allowed five runs on eight hits over his four innings while walking one and striking out six.

Gastonia starter Morgan McSweeney yielded five hits and a run over his three innings of work with two walks and five strikeouts.

Figueroa finished the night with three hits and a pair of runs scored while Owings added three RBI and scored twice.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 o’clock at CaroMont Health Park.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Charleston Dirty Birds broke up a close game with a six-run seventh inning and posted an 11-5 win over the High Point Rockers on Saturday night at GoMart Park.

The loss dropped the Rockers to 1.5 games back of Charleston in the Atlantic League’s South Division. The Rockers are 15-10 while Charleston improved to 16-8. Gastonia is 14-10 and was leading Lexington 14-7 on Saturday night before the game went into a rain delay.

High Point took a 3-0 lead in the second inning against Charleston starter Gabriel Rodriguez (W, 2-3). Michael Martinez drew a lead-off walk and Jake Washer doubled to left, moving Martinez to third. D.J. Burt then homered, his fifth of the season, to give the Rockers an early lead.

Charleston knotted the game in the bottom of the third as Juan Santana doubled off High Point starter Neil Ramirez (L, 5-4). Ramirez allowed a sac fly by Delino Deshields before Joseph Rosa followed with a solo homer to make it a 3-2 game. After a Tillman Pugh double, Jared Carr delivered an RBI single that tied the game.

The Dirty Birds took a 5-3 lead in the fourth that started with a walk to Luis Curbelo and a single from Rusber Estrada. Juan Santana’s bunt was mishandled by Connor Owings with Curbelo scoring. Jacob Edwards came in from the bullpen and committed an error to allow Estrada to score.

The Rockers loaded the bases in the sixth and Ben Aklinski was hit by a pitch to bring in a run and cut the deficit to one at 5-4.

But Charleston sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh and scored six runs to take a11-4 lead.

The Rockers added a run in the ninth on a single by Jake Washer who moved to second on a groundout by Aidan Brewer and scored on a single by Martin Figueroa.

Washer and Figueroa each had a pair of hits for the Rockers while Aklinski drew three walks.

Game three of the series is slated for a 4:05 p.m. start on Sunday at Go Mart Park.

HIGH POINT, N.C. — The Gastonia Baseball Club used a pair of three-run innings to power past the High Point Rockers 8-5 on Thursday night at Truist Point.

Gastonia catcher Hidekel Gonzalez drove in four runs with a solo homer in the second inning and a bases-loaded double in the seventh to lead GBC.

Gastonia took an early lead in the second inning. Gonzalez’s solo homer gave GBC a 1-0 lead. Eric De La Rosa followed with a triple and scored on a Richie Martin single to put GBC up 2-0.

High Point evened the game up on a pair of Evan Edwards solo homers, one in the second and another in the fourth, both coming off Gastonia starter Harrison Francis (W, 1-1).

The game turned in the sixth when Gastonia got to High Point reliever Austin Warner (L, 0-1) for three runs. The key blows were a double by Martin and a two-run double by Josh Stowers. GBC added three more runs in the seventh when Rockers’ reliever Garrett Schilling allowed a single and a pair of walks to load the bases. Gonzalez then doubled to right-center, clearing the bases and giving Gastonia an 8-3 lead.

The Rockers rallied for a pair of runs in the eighth off Gastonia lefty Nick Horvath. Edwards singled, his third hit of the night, and moved to third on a double by Trey Martin. Aidan Brewer brought home a run with a sac fly and Brian Parreira bounced out to short as Martin scored from third.

High Point starter Stephen Ridings went 4.1 innings before leaving with a blister. Gastonia’s Trevor Clifton put the Rockers down in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.

High Point (15-8) holds a half-game lead over Charleston (14-8) which was rained out on Thursday. Gastonia is in third at 13-10, two games back of the Rockers

The Rockers return home on August 9th to face off against the Charleston Dirty Birds at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.