HIGH POINT, N.C – The High Point Rockers scored three times in the fourth inning to overcome a 5-3 deficit and went on to defeat the Lexington Legends 7-5 on Thursday night at Truist Point. The win gives the Rockers a 2-1 series win over the Legends.

In the fourth inning, shortstop Clayton Mehlbauer led off the frame with a double to right-center and scored on a single by Martin Figueroa. After stealing second, Figueroa was driven home by Connor Owings who then moved to third on a single by Ben Aklinski. Colin Moran brought home Owings with the go-ahead run on a fielders choice.

Lexington had taken an early lead 2-0 in the first inning after High Point starter Neil Uskali walked three consecutive batters to start the game. The Rockers put up their first run in the bottom of the first as Moran plated Figueroa on a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game.

Payton Robertson staked the Legends to a 3-1 advantage as he smacked a double in the second inning and scored on a single by Mikey Reynolds. High Point tied the game with a pair of runs in the second as Evan Edwards scored on a single by Gavin Johns followed by a run-scoring single from Figueroa.

A pair of errors by High Point in the fourth inning gave Lexington a 5-3 lead.

In the fifth, the Rockers scored three times to take a 6-5 lead before Aklinski’s solo homer in the seventh put High Point up 7-5 to account for the final score.

The Rockers will start a three game weekend series against the Charleston Dirty Birds on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Truist Point.

by Katelynn Hunter

HIGH POINT, N.C – The Lexington Legends over powered the High Point Rockers with a pair of home runs in downing the Rockers 3-1 on Tuesday night at Truist Point. The game was delayed 45 minutes at the start due to rain.

High Point took an early lead 1-0 when Evan Edwards hit his first home run of the year in the second inning. The Rockers continued to hold the lead into the fifth inning as High Point starter Ryan Weiss allowed just four hits and struck out seven through the first four innings.

Lexington took the lead, 2-1 in the fifth when Matt Bottcher singled and scored on a homer by Pedro Gonzalez.

Weiss left the game after 5.1 innings of work, allowing six hits and striking out eight with two walks. David McKay allowed a solo homer to DH Kole Cottam in the seventh as the Legends took a 3-1 lead.

Lexington starter Nic Laio (W, 2-1) allowed just one run and three hits while striking out nine and not issuing a walk during his seven innings of work. Elio Serrano came on in the eighth and finished with three strikeouts and his first save of the season.

Game two of the series is set for an 11:05 a.m. start on Wednesday at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers pounded out 14 hits in posting a 9-2 win over Southern Maryland in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point. The Rockers won the series by a 2-1 count.

Former North Carolina All-American Colin Moran had his best day as a Rocker since joining the club earlier in the week. Moran had four hits, two doubles and scored a pair of runs while driving in one to lead High Point’s offensive charge.

Southern Maryland took an early 1-0 lead when lead-off hitter Anthony Ray started the game with a home run off High Point starter Jonah Scolaro. The lead grew to 2-0 in the fourth when Josh Broughton hit a two-out double and scored on a double by Aaron Hill.

But High Point scored the next nine runs in the game, starting with a three-run outburst in the fourth. After Ben Aklinski drew a walk and moved to third on a double by Moran, Zander Wiel plated one run with a sac fly and Ryan Grotjohn doubled home the second run before scoring on an RBI single by Wesleyan Christian Academy Gregory White.

The Rockers added four runs in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead on a three-run homer by Aklinski and an RBI single from Grotjohn. Moran doubled home Aklinski with the eighth run in the sixth and Connor Owings singled to score Grotjohn in the eighth to complete the scoring.

Scolaro went 4.1 innings and allowed four hits and three walks while striking out three. Neil Ramirez (W, 1-0) came on in the fifth and faced seven batters, issuing a walk and striking out five to earn the win. Austin Ross, David McKay and Garrett Schilling each threw scoreless innings to finish up for the Rockers.

Southern Maryland starter Ian Kahaloa (L, 1-2), allowed seven runs on seven hits in his 4.1 innings of work while walking four and striking out five.

The Rockers will have Monday off and then start the string of six straight home games. High Point hosts the Lexington Legends for three games starting on Tuesday. Wednesday’s game will be a special 11:05 am start for Education Day at Truist Point.

NOTES: Scolaro was signed by the Rockers on Sunday to fill the slot in the starting rotation previously held by Peter Solomon whose contract was purchased by the Texas Rangers on Thursday… Scolaro was with the Rockers briefly in 2022 before his contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers dropped a second straight game to Southern Maryland, falling 5-3 on Friday night at Truist Point in front of a season-high 2,650 fans. Game two of the series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Saturday night.

Southern Maryland took two of three games earlier in the week from the Rockers in Waldorf, Md.

High Point went on top first as Martin Figueroa led off the bottom of the first with a double. After moving to third on a Ben Aklinski fly out to left, Figueroa scored on an RBI single from Connor Owings.

In the fourth, the Blue Crabs tied the game on a Juan Kelly double and a Josh Broughto RBI single. Southern Maryland then took the lead for good in the fifth when Michael Wielansky slammed a solo homer for a 2-1 advantage.

The Blue Crabs added two ore runs in the top of the sixth for a 4-1 lead. Kelly hit a solo homer before Aaron Hill doubled and stole third, scoring on a single by Broughton.

The Rockers battled back in their half of the fifth when Figueroa walked and scored on Aklinski’s home run to left to make it 4-3.

But Southern Maryland added an insurance run in the eighth on a single by Broughton and an RBI double off the bat of Alan Alonso to account for the 5-3 final.

Jeremy Rhoades (L, 1-2) allowed six hits and four runs in his 5.1 innings of work while fanning seven. Blue Crab starter Garrett Martin (W, 2-0) also went 5.1 innings, yielding five hits and three runs. Endrys Briceno put the Rockers down in order in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the year.

Figueroa was the lone Rocker to collect two hits. Broughton led the Blue Crabs with three hits and two RBI.

NOTES: The Rockers added LHP Braeden Ogle to the roster on Friday afternoon… He will take the spot of Peter Solomon whose contract was purchased by the Texas Rangers… The Rockers also added former North Carolina A&T and Wesleyan Christian Academy outfielder Greg White to the roster on Friday.

WALDORF, Md. – The High Point Rockers nearly came back from an early 7-0 deficit but came up short, falling 7-6 to Southern Maryland at Regency Furniture Stadium on Thursday night.

The Rockers will travel back to High Point Thursday night and continue the series with the Blue Crabs at 6:35 p.m. Friday at Truist Point.

Southern Maryland took an early lead when Anthony Brocato and Juan Kelly slapped back-to-back home runs in the first inning off Rockers starter Taylor Guerrieri.

The Blue Crabs scored five times in the second to take a 7-0 lead. A walk, two singles and a double plated two runs before Brocato hit his second homer of the night, a three-run shot.

The Rockers scored four times in the fifth inning to pull within three runs at 7-4. Martin Figueroa singled and Ben Aklinski drew a walk. Connor Owings followed with a single to score Figureroa and send Aklinski to third. Nick Longhi then blasted a three-run homer, his seventh of the year.

The rains came in the sixth and the tarp was dragged over the field for what amounted to a 32 minute delay.

When play resumed, the Rockers’ hitting did too. In the top of the eighth, Brian Parreira walked and moved to second on a single by Ryan Grotjohn. A walk to Figueroa loaded the bases. After Ben Aklinski fouled out, Owings ripped a line drive single to right that scored Parreira and Grotjohn to pull the Rockers to within a run at 7-6.

Guerrieri (L, 1-2) exited the game after the second inning and the High Point bullpen dominated over the final six innings. Zach Muckenhirn went two innings allowing just one hit and striking out two. Neil Ramirez through a shutout inning in the fifth before David McKay got the Rockers to the seventh, striking out five over his 1.2 innings of work.  Ryan Meisinger worked around a pair of hits but kept the Blue Crabs scoreless through the seventh and eighth.

Owings led the Rockers with three hits and three RBI while Longhi also drove in three runs. Brocato finished with four RBI on his two home runs.

Southern Maryland’s Alex Katz (W, 1-0) earned the win with 1.2 innings of relief work. Endrys Briceno put the Rockers down in order in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

WALDORF, Md. – High Point’s Ryan Weiss tied the club record for strikeouts in a game and the Rockers bats erupted for seven runs in the third inning as High Point defeated Southern Maryland 8-1 on Wednesday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.

Weiss (W, 1-1) struck out 12 Blue Crab hitters, tying a mark set by Edwin Carl and Michael Bowden during the Rockers’ inaugural season in 2019. Weiss fanned two batters in each of the first three innings, struck out the side in the fourth and added two more strikeouts in the fifth. He whiffed Michael Wielansky leading off the sixth for his record-tying 12^th strikeout.

The Rockers held a 1-0 lead heading into the third inning. Colin Moran blasted a double off the wall in centerfield to lead-off the top of the second. He scored on a broken bat single to left by Jake Washer to give the Rockers a 1-0 lead.

In the third, High Point tallied seven times to take an 8-0 lead. Martin Figueroa drew a lead-off walk, stole second, and scored on a single to right by Connor Owings. Nick Longhi followed with a single before Southern Maryland starter Shawn Semple (L, 0-2) walked Moran to load the bases. Zander Wiel singled to plate two more runs, the second being the 200^th of Wiel’s High Point career. Jake Washer then doubled to score Moran and Wiel and give the Rockers a 6-0 lead. The lead grew to 8-0 when Clayton Mehlbauer homered to score Washer ahead of him and finish off a seven-run outburst.

Weiss finished with 5.1 innings of work, allowing just two hits and one run while walking four. The lone run Weiss allowed was unearned.

The Rockers added a run in the ninth when Owings walked, moved to second on a single by newly acquired Cayman Richardson and scored on an infield ground out by Washer.

High Point’s pitching staff combined to allow just three hits while striking out a season-high 17. Ben Aklinski, Moran, Weil and Washer all had two hits for the Rockers. Wiel and Mehlbauer each drove in two runs while Washer drove home three.

Game three of the series is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. start on Thursday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.

NOTES: Wiel is High Point’s all-time leader in RBI, having driven in the 199^th and 200^th of his career tonight… The Rockers signed former University of Virginia utility player Cayman Richardson on Tuesday. He made his first appearance as a Rocker on Wednesday and collected a base-hit… The 17 strikeouts by the Rockers staff ties for the second-most in a game. High Point fanned 17 Blue Crabs in a 2019 game and set the record of 18 strikeouts in a game vs. York, also in 2019.