FREDERICK, Md. – Spire City broke open a 3-3 game with three home runs in a four-run fifth inning and went on to defeat the High Point Rockers 10-8 on Monday night at Nymeo Field.

The Rockers continue to own the best overall record in the Atlantic League at 53-29 on the season and they are in first place in the South Division with a 12-8 second half record. Gastonia is a half-game back at 11-8.

High Point starter Brandon Leibrandt (L, 0-2) allowed a single to Leobaldo Cabrera leading off the bottom of the first. After Cabrera stole second and third, Jimmy Paredes grounded a ball to short and a throwing error by Shed Long, Jr. allowed Cabrera to score from third to give the Ghost Hounds an early 1-0 lead.

The Rockers tied it in the second when Zander Wiel walked and scored from first when Brian Parreira singled to center and the ball was misplayed by Cabrera. That tied the game at 1-1.

The Rockers took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third when Long, Jr. drew a walk from Spire City starter David Kubiak (W, 7-4) and scored on Ben Aklinski’s 14^th home run of the year. But the Ghost Hounds knotted the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third on an RBI double from Jose Marmolejos and a run-scoring single from Paredes.

Spire City unleased its power in the fifth when Leibrandt allowed three home runs in the frame. Cabrera singled and scored on a two-run homer by Marmolejos. After retiring Paredes, Kole Cottam and Raudy Read hit back-to-back solo homers to stake the ‘Hounds to a 7-3 lead. That lead grew to 10-3 in the seventh when Read hit a sac fly and Scott Kelly delivered a two-run double.

High Point mounted a comeback in the eighth. Aklinski knocked in a run with a sac fly, Long, Jr. scored on a wild pitch and Quincy Latimore and Zander Wiel each hit solo homers to pull the Rockers to within three at 10-7. A Michael Martinez homer in the top of the ninth made it a 10-8 game but Spire City’s Victor Capellan was able to pitch the ‘Hounds out of the frame to finish off the 10-8 win.

Aklinski continued his hot streak, driving in three runs on a 1-for-3 night. Latimore picked up a pair of hits as well. Marmolejos led the Ghost Hounds with three RBI. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for Spire City.

The Rockers will start a three-game series at Gastonia on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at CaroMont Health Park. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

FREDERICK, Md. – The High Point Rockers exploded for a franchise record 14 runs in the ninth inning en route to a 22-2 win over the Spire City Ghost Hounds on Saturday night at Nymeo Field.

The Rockers held a comfortable 8-2 lead going into the top of the ninth inning and then blew up for a club record 14 runs. The 14 runs came on nine hits and one Ghost Hound error. Every Rocker in the line-up scored at least once in the ninth with five players scoring twice. Ben Aklinski had five RBI in the inning, on a run-scoring single his first time through and on a grand slam on his second at-bat of the inning. Daikan Yoh, Brian Parreira, and D.J. Burt each had a double in the ninth.

The Rockers had multiple big innings, scoring four runs in the fifth and three in the eighth before the ninth inning gala.

Spire City had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Jose Marmolejos hit his 18^th homer of the year off High Point starter Justin Nicolino (W, 4-0). Quincy Latimore tied the game in the third with the first of his two home runs. The Rockers had a four-run outburst in the fifth, tallying on a Beau Taylor RBI single and a Zander Wiel three-run homer.

The Ghost Hounds narrowed the deficit to 5-2 in the sixth an a run-scoring hit by Osvaldo Abreu.

Latimore’s second homer, with D.J. Burt and Shed Long, Jr. aboard, gave High Point a n 8-2 lead after eight innings.

Spire City starter Zac Rosscup took the loss, going five innings and allowing seven hits and four walks on six strikeouts while allowing High Point’s first five runs.

Sam Selman, Jameson McGrane and Jeremy Rhoades each threw a scoreless inning in relief of Nicolino.

With the win, the Rockers improve to 11-7 in the second half and 52-29 overall.

The series continues on Sunday with game two of the three-game set slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday at Nymeo Field.

NOTES: The Rockers set season highs with 22 runs scored, 21 hits, 22 RBI and 37 total bases… The Rockers hit .429 as a team (21-for-49), tying for their second-highest average of the season… Justin Nicolino has now won four of his five starts this season and has gone at least five innings in each start… The 22 runs scored rank as the second-most in club history behind 25 runs scored at Lexington on 7/20/22… The nine hits in an inning stands as a new club mark… The 21 hits tie for the second-most in club history.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers managed just four hits in a 4-1 loss to Lancaster on Thursday night in front of a crowd of 2,012 at Truist Point.

The game was an opportunity for High Point manager Jamie Keefe to use his bullpen as six different pitchers saw action.

Lancaster opened the scoring when Chad Sedio hit a solo homer leading off the second off High Point starter Neil Ramirez (L, 1-1). The Barnstormers went up 3-0 when Trace Loehr was hit by a pitch by Jeremy Rhoades to start the third, moved to third on a single by Melvin Mercedes and scored when John Daly’s throw back to the infield rolled all the way to the third base dugout. Mercedes would score on an RBI single by Andretty Cordero.

Lancaster starter Brent Teller (W, 7-4) retired the first nine Rockers he faced until D.J. Burt led off the bottom of the fourth with a ground rule double to center. After a walk to Ryan Grotjohn, Shed Long, Jr. grounded into a 6-3 double play that moved Burt to third. Daikan Yoh then beat out an infield single that plated Burt and cut the Lancaster lead to 3-1.

Joe Johnson pitched a scoreless fourth inning and Taylor Guerrieri followed suit, putting the ‘Stormers down in the fifth while working around a hit and a walk. Austin Ross faced just six batters in retiring Lancaster in order in the sixth and seventh. He did allow a run in the eighth on a Chad Sedio double and an RBI single from Wilson Garcia.

The Rockers’ best opportunity to score came in the eighth when Lancaster reliever Nick Duron walked Ben Aklinski and D.J. Burt to open the inning. But Duron then struck out Grotjohn, Long, Jr. and Yoh in order to escape the jam.

Burt was the only Rocker with two hits on the night, both doubles. Sedio and Yeison Coca led Lancaster with two hits each.

The Rockers are now 51-29 on the season and 10-7 in the second half of play. Gastonia leads the Atlantic League South at 10-6, a half-game in front of High Point.

The Rockers will enjoy a rare off-day on Friday before starting a three-game series at Spire City on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. The game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point’s Quincy Latimore blasted a three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie and lift the Rockers to a 7-4 win over the Lancaster Barnstormers on Wednesday night at Truist Point.

Latimore’s homer helped High Point overcome an early 4-1 deficit and it was a measure of redemption for the 34-year-old outfielder who has been with the Rockers from their birth in 2019 but is coming off a knee injury that kept him out of action until this month. He had also struck out in each of his first three at-bats against Lancaster starter Dominic DiSabatino. But in the seventh, Latimore was facing reliever Brandyn Sittinger (L, 4-7).

“It looked like old times in the seventh but not in my first three at-bats,” said Latimore following the game. “But I came through when we needed it the most and that’s what counts.”

After this third strikeout, Latimore had sought the advice of hitting coach George Greer.

“What am I going to do?” Latimore asked the veteran coach. “George told me to shorten up (my stride), widen (my stance) and take a two-strike approach. I got (the count) to 2-0 and I chased a low pitch but the swing felt good, I wasn’t fooled by it. Then he came with a 2-1 fastball and I got all of it.”

Latimore’s homer broke a 4-4 tie and set the table for Rockers relievers Jameson McGrane, in the eighth, and Ryan Dull, in the ninth, to shut the door on the Barnstormers over the final two innings. The save was Dull’s 14^th of the year.

“I knew he was down on himself,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe of Latimore. “He didn’t look like himself but I knew George would talk to him.”

Just prior to the momentous home run, Keefe called time to speak with Latimore along the third base line.

“I just told him to relax and get something good to hit,” said Keefe. “I told him ‘they’re not going to pitch around you.’ I can’t feel better for anybody more than I do for him. I’m pumped up for him.”

Much like Tuesday’s game, Lancaster came out swinging right from the very start. After Melvin Mercedes beat out an infield single to lead off the top of the first, Yeison Coca doubled to put runners on second and third. Andretty Cordero delivered a sac fly to left and Coca scored on a groundout by Ariel Sandoval for a 2-0 ‘Stormer lead.

The Barnstormers added a run in the third on a single by Mercedes and an RBI double from Cordero to put Lancaster up 3-0.

High Point cut into the lead in the fourth when Daikan Yoh walked and scored from first on a double in the gap by Ryan Grotjohn. The ‘Stormers make it a 4-1 game in the fifth when Mercedes singled, his third consecutive hit, and scored on Ariel Sandoval double.

The Rockers tied the game with three runs in the fifth. After Brian Parreira and Shed Long, Jr. started the frame with singles off Lancaster starter Dominic DiSabatino, D.J. Burt cleared the bases with a triple to right center and Ben Aklinski followed with a sac fly that brought Burt home to knot the game at 4-4.

Mitch Atkins started the game for High Point and went five innings after allowing seven hits and four runs but left with the game tied 4-4. Bryce Hensley (W, 6-1) pitched the sixth and seventh innings, allowing just one hit and earning his sixth win of the year.

Game three of the series is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Thursday night at Truist Point. It will be Thirsty Thursday with drink specials in the ballpark. The game will be streamed live by FLO Baseball and also available on the Mixlr app.

NOTES: Latimore’s home run was his first of the season but the 49^th of his Rockers career. He and Zander Wiel are tied for the franchise lead with 49 homers each… Ryan Dull’s 14^th save of the year sets a club record for saves in a season. Dull already holds the club record with 27 career saves… The win for Bryce Hensley gave him the Rockers’ all-time lead in victory as it was the 14^th of his career. Craig Stem has 13 career wins as a Rocker… Lancaster has blasted 10 doubles in the first two games of the series… Thursday’s pitching matchup will have the Rockers going with RHP Ryan Weiss (5-3, 4.61) against Lancaster righty Brent Teller (6-4, 7.34)