HIGH POINT, N.C – High Point used the long ball to blast three home runs in the first two innings to power the Rockers to a 6-0 win over Staten Island Sunday afternoon at Truist Point. The win gave the Rockers a 2-1 series victory over the FerryHawks.

The Rockers got on the board in the bottom of the first when Evan Edwards blasted a two-run homer to score Martin Figueroa who reached with a lead-off single. Zander Wiel smacked a solo home run later in the first inning to give the Rockers a 3-0 advantage.

Figueroa hit another two-run homer for the Rockers in the second, scoring D.J Burt who reached on a base hit. High Point’s offense chased starter Matt Reitz (L,0-3) after 1.2 innings after he allowed five hits and five runs and was replaced by William Kirwan. 

High Point starter Cam Bedrosian (W, 1-0) went five innings and kept the Staten Island offense at bay, allowing just three hits while striking out six. High Point relievers Austin Ross, Zach Vennaro and Jameson McGrane each contributed to the shutout effort out of the bullpen.

Ryan Grotjohn tallied another home run after he smacked the first pitch of the ninth inning out of the park, giving the Rockers a 6-0 lead.  

The Rockers will have Monday and Tuesday off before heading to New York and starting a three-game series at Staten Island on Wednesday night with a 4 p.m. doubleheader. The next Rockers home stretch will start on Friday, June 21st at 6:35 p.m. against Southern Maryland.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Second baseman D.J. Burt and catcher Jake Washer combined to drive in seven runs in the High Point Rockers 8-4 win over the Staten Island FerryHawks on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 2,308 at Truist Point.

Burt had an RBI single and a three-run homer from the No. 9 spot in the batting order while No. 8 hitter Washer contributed a pair of hits and three RBI including a two-run double.

The Rockers built an 8-0 lead through the first five innings and cruised home after that.

High Point started the scoring with an RBI single from Burt in the second. The lead grew to 4-0 after three behind Washer’s two-run double and an error on Staten Island.

The Rockers blew up for four runs in the fifth with Washer driving in one with a bases loaded groundout and Burt’s three-run homer.

Ryan Meisinger earned the start and went 2.1 innings, allowing just three hits. Zach Muckenhirn (W, 3-0) with 2.2 innings of work with one hit allowed and one strikeout.

Staten Island’s only runs came off reliever Jacob Edwards, surrendering a three-run homer to Luis Castro in the sixth.

The Rockers will play the third and final game of the series with Staten Island on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point Rockers left-hander Jonah Scolaro shut down the Long Island Ducks offense on Wednesday night as the Rockers took game two of the series by a 7-2 final. Scolaro (W, 2-0) tossed 6.2 innings, yielded just three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Scolaro’s strong effort on the mound was supported by the Rockers’ offense which scored five runs in the first two innings off Long Island starter Daniel Corcino (L, 2-2).

The Rockers tallied a run in the first when Ben Aklinski hit a sac fly to score Martin Figueroa who had drawn a lead-off walk.

High Point posted four more runs in the second off Corcino. Ryan Grotjohn and D.J. Burt started the frame with singles and Corcino walked Figueroa to load the bases. A single by Evan Edwards brought home two runs before back-to-back sac flies from Colin Moran and Connor Owings finished off the inning.

Ryan Grotjohn singled home a run in the fifth and another in the seventh to complete High Point’s scoring.

Scolaro did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the fourth inning. Long Island’s only runs came with two outs in the sixth when Scolaro walked Ryan McBroom and gave up a two-run homer to Chance Sisco that cut the Rockers lead to 5-2.

Reliever Austin Ross replaced Scolaro and did not allow a run in his inning of work. Braeden Ogle came on with two outs in the eighth and earned a four-out save, his first of the season.

The High Point Rockers advanced to 23-14 and the Long Island Ducks slipped to 17-20. The Rockers remain a game behind South Division-leading Gastonia (24-13) which swept a doubleheader from Staten Island on Wednesday.

Game three of the series between the Rockers and Ducks is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Thursday.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Zander Wiel blasted a two-run homer and Brian Parreira added a solo shot during a three-run sixth inning that led the High Point Rockers to a 4-3 win over the Long Island Ducks on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

The Rockers were trailing 2-1 after three innings as Long Island’s Tyler Dearden stroked an RBI single and Ryan McBroom hit a sac fly in the third to take a 2-0 lead. The Rockers got one run back in the bottom of the third when Ryan Grotjohn walked and scored on a Ben Aklinski single.

That’s how the score remained until the sixth inning when Long Island starter Wei-Yin Chen (L, 2-2) allowed a one out double to Connor Owings. Wiel followed with his homer to put High Point in the lead for the first time at 3-2. After Colin Moran grounded out, Parreira pulled his homer to right to give High Point a 4-2 advantage.

The Ducks rallied for a run in the top of the eighth when pinch-hitter Aaron Antonini doubled to right, moved to third on a single by Chance Sisco and scored when McBroom’s one-hopper bounced off Rockers pitcher Ryan Meisinger who was able to recover and get the out at first.

Jacob Edwards (W, 3-0) came on in relief of starter Cam Bedrosian in the fourth inning and limited the Ducks to one hit while striking out three over his three innings of work. David McKay tossed a shutout inning in the seventh and Jameson McGrane retired the Ducks in order in the ninth to earn his sixth save.

Game two of the series between the Rockers and Ducks is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Wednesday. It will be First Responder’s Night with all first responders receiving four complimentary tickets with proper ID.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The High Point Rockers took advantage of eight walks and three Lexington Legends errors to down the Legends 10-4 Saturday night in Lexington.

The game was delayed nearly an hour due to rain.

Connor Owings led the Rockers with three hits while Clayton Mehlbauer and Evan Edwards each hit home runs to support the outstanding pitching of Neil Ramirez. Ramirez allowed just two hits over his five innings of work while walking one and striking out nine. David McKay (W, 2-0) earned the win with 1.1 innings of no-hit relief. Rockers’ pitchers struck out 16 in the game.

The Rockers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Lexington starter Alex MacKinnon walked D.J. Burt and Evan Edwards to put runners on first and second. A throw to first following Ben Aklinski’s routine ground ball to short pulled Lexington first baseman Drew Jemison off the bag, allowing Burt to score from second.

The lead grew to 2-0 when Mehlbauer hit a solo homer leading off the fourth inning.

Ramirez did not allow a hit until the fifth inning when Keenan O’Brien singled. Gabe Howell followed with a single before Aldenis Sanchez lifted a high pop fly in the infield that fell untouched. The Rockers were able to retire Howell at second but O’Brien scored to cut High Point’s lead to 2-1.

Braeden Ogle came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth and after allowing a single to Osmy Gregorio, walked the bases loaded then walked a third consecutive batter to bring home the tying run. Ogle then struck out O’Brien and Howell before walking Sanchez as the Legends took a 3-2 lead.

The Rockers battled back in the top of the seventh with Edwards and Aklinski collecting one-out singles. A third consecutive single by Connor Owings scored Edwards and Aklinski scored on a fourth straight single by Colin Moran. Zander Wiel’s sac fly brought home Owings to put High Point up 5-3.

Lexington tallied a run in the bottom of the seventh as Payton Robertson reached on an error, stole second and scored on a ground out by Matt Bottcher.

High Point received a pair of insurance runs in the eighth when Edwards unloaded a two-run homer with Burt aboard to put the Rockers up 7-4. High Point added three more runs in the ninth, taking advantage of a pair of errors and a wild pitch to increase their lead to 10-4.

Ryan Meisinger struck out the side in the eighth inning while Jameson McGrane fanned two of the three hitters he faced in the ninth.

The Rockers trail Gastonia by two games in the race for the first half South Division title. Gastonia (22-12) lost a 5-0 decision at Staten Island on Saturday.

The fourth and final game of the series is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday at Legends Field.

 

HIGH POINT N.C – A five-run eighth inning for Lexington proved to be the difference as the Legends took game two of their series with the High Point Rockers by a 10-6 score on Wednesday night at Truist Point.

Lexington held a 5-2 lead entering the eighth when it sent nine men to the plate and scored five times with Drew Jemison and Osmy Gregorio each delivering two-run base hits.

Trailing 10-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Rockers made a strong push to tie the game. A double by Colin Moran, a walk to Zander Wiel and a throwing error on Lexington pitcher Carlos Martinez loaded the bases. Martinez then walked Jack Washer and Brian Parreira to bring home a pair of runs. D.J. Burt hit a sac fly for the third run of the inning and Ryan Grotjohn delivered an RBI single as the Rockers cut the margin to 10-6. But neither team scored in the ninth.

A solo homer from Ben Aklinski in the first put the Rockers up 1-0. Aklinski now leads the team with eight home runs this season.

The Legends responded in the second inning with an RBI double from Jemison and an RBI single from Gregorio to take a 2-1 lead.

High Point drew even at 2-2 in the bottom of the second after Evan Edwards doubled, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a passed ball.

The Legends plated three runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead. An RBI double from Pedro Gonzalez and another RBI single from Gregorio brought home two runs. Keenan O’Brien scored on a sac fly from Aldenis Sanchez for Lexington to grab a 5-2 advantage.

The Legends reached High Point starter Neil Uskali (L, 0-2) for six hits and five runs during his three innings of work. Lexington starter Jose Acuna (W, 1-3) worked five inning, holding the Rockers to two hits while walking six and striking out seven.High Point relievers David McKay and Braeden Ogle held off the Legends with two hitless innings each heading into the eighth. Lexington scored all five runs off reliever Garrett Schilling who yielded four hits with a walk and a strikeout.

The Rockers slipped to 18-12 for the season and now trail Gastonia (22-9) by 3.5 games in the race for the Atlantic League’s South Division first half title.

The final game of the three-game series with Lexington will take place on Thursday, May 30th at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.