HIGH POINT, N.C. – The bottom half of the batting order provided a big lift on Sunday, helping the High Point Rockers end a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 in the final game of the series with the York Revolution on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point.

High Point’s sixth through eighth hitters in the order, Brian Parreira, Ryan Grotjohn and Clayton Mehlbauer, combined to go five-for-11 with three runs scored, two homers and three RBI. Parriera had two hits and a homer, Grotjohn had a hit and a run scored and Mehlbauer hit his first homer as a Rocker as part of a two-hit, two-RBI day.

Brandon Leibrandt earned the win, his first of the season, with five innings of four-hit baseball. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Four High Point relievers finished the game with one inning of work each.

Lead-off hitter Martin Figueroa walked to open the first for the Rockers and scored on a two-run homer from Nick Longhi, his team-leading fifth of the year. Parriera put the Rockers up 3-0 with a solo shot leading off the second.

High Point extended its lead to 5-0 in the sixth when Grotjohn drew a walk, stole second and scored on Mehlbauer’s opposite field shot to right field.

York scored its only run of the game on a David Washington homer leading off the seventh inning.

York starter Chris Vallimont took the loss, allowing five hits and three runs over five innings of work.

Longhi finished the day with a pair of hits and two RBI.

The Rockers will have Monday off before heading to Southern Maryland on Tuesday for a three-game series with the Blue Crabs. The Rockers will return home on Friday, May 10 vs. the Lexington Legends.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers and Charleston Dirty Birds locked up in an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel on Thursday night at Truist Point with the ‘Birds pulling out a 2-0 win.

Charleston starter Trey Supak allowed just one hit over his six innings of work while walking one and striking out seven. Reliever Jalen Miller came on in the seventh and nearly equaled Supak’s effort with one hit allowed and six strikeouts over the final three innings.

High Point starter Kyle Barraclough was also at the top of his game, striking out six and yielding just one hit over his six inning stint.

The only runs of the came off High Point reliever Taylor Guerreri in the seventh inning. After retiring the first two hitters in the frame, Charleston catcher Rusber Estrada sent a ground ball to short and Ryan Grotjohn’s throw to first was out of the reach of Zander Wiel. Charleston’s Kevin Maitan then homered to center to give the ‘Birds a 2-0 lead and concluding the scoring for the game.

Supak retired the first 11 batters of the game before Connor Owings coaxed a walk with two outs I the fourth. Supak then set down the next four hitters before Grotjohn led off the sixth with a single. But Supak was able to retire D.J. Burt, Martin Figueroa and Ben Aklinski to escape unharmed.

Miller came on in the seventh and put the Rockers down in order in the seventh and eighth. Aklinski doubled to center with two outs in the ninth but Owings’ fly ball to right was caught near the warning track.

High Point’s two hits mark the second-fewest the Rockers have managed in a game in club history. The Rockers struck out 13 times. High Point’s pitchers allowed just three hits and three walks while fanning 11.

Supak improved to 1-0 with the win while Guerrieri evened his record at 1-1. It was Miller’s first save of the year.

The Rockers start a three-game series with the York Revolution on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers’ five-game winning streak came to a halt on Wednesday night as the Charleston Dirty Birds took game two of the series by a 12-5 margin at Truist Point.

The Rockers were held without a hit for the first time this season, collecting 12 hits to Charleston’s 18.

The Rockers found themselves trailing for the first time this year when the ‘Birds tallied three runs in the third inning on a two-run double by Drew Ellis and an RBI single from Jared Carr.  The Rockers scored a pair of runs in the fifth when Ryan Grotjohn tripled and scored on a sac fly from D.J. Burt. After Martin Figueroa singled, a pair of Charleston errors moved him to third where he scored on a sac fly from Connor Owings.

Charleston tallied nine times over their final four at-bats, Rusber Estrada hit a three-run homer in the seventh, and tallied three times in the ninth on three consecutive hits.

The Rockers made their last gasp at taking the lead with two runs in the seventh. A single by Figueroa and a walk to Ben Aklinski led to a two-run double from Owings.

While Aklinski was held without a hit for the first time this year, Owings continued his hot streak, collecting a pair of hits, including a double and drove in three runs.

Peter Solomon (l, 0-1) started and went four innings and allowed six hits and three runs while striking out eight. Charleston’s Kyle McGowin (W, 1-0) went five innings, yielding six hits and two runs while fanning four.

The loss leaves the Rockers at 5-1 on the season.

The third and final game of the series will take place on Thursday night at Truist Point. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.

 

RECAP: High Point Rockers 8, Charleston Dirty Birds 0
Tuesday, April 30, 2024

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Five High Point pitchers held Charleston to just three hits as the Rockers opened their home season with a rousing 8-0 win over the Dirty Birds in front of a crowd of 2,029 on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

The Rockers have now started the season at 5-0 and are the only undefeated team in professional baseball.

Lefty Brandon Leibrandt went four innings and allowed just one hit while striking out seven. David Mckay allowed a hit in the fifth and then Southwest Guilford High grad Jacob Edwards tossed a pair of scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four. Zach Muckenhirn didn’t allow a hit in the eighth and Austin Ross closed it out by pitching around a walk in the ninth.

Offensively, the Rockers came out hot right from the start. Connor Owings slugged an RBI single in the first and Zander Wiel knocked home a run on an infield groundout to stake the Rockers to a 2-0 lead.

Owings and Wiel led off the third with back-to-back homers to push the Rockers to a 4-0 advantage. The lead ballooned to 7-0 with Aklinski rocketing a three-run homer, his fourth of the year. D.J. Burt hit a solo homer in the eighth to complete the scoring.

Charleston’s hits came on a double by Jared Carr in the second, a single by Carr in the fifth and a single by Gabriel Cancel in the seventh.

Aklinski finished with three RBI, Connor Owings had three hits, a pair of doubles and two RBI, and Wiel finished with two RBI. Burt had two singles and a homer for a three-hit night.

The Rockers and Dirty Birds will play game two of the three-game series on Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

NOTES: The Rockers are 5-0 to start the season for the first time in club history . . . Ben Aklinski leads the Atlantic League with four homers and 15 RBI . . . High Point has hit 15 homers through the first five games . . . Gastonia has 15 homers through its first 8 games . . . High Point has hit multiple homers in every game this season . . .  Here are High Point’s previous 5-game homer totals: 2019-2; 2021-2; 2022-3; 2023-5 . . . The Rockers, at 5-0 are the only undefeated team in professional baseball . . . Aklinski has a hit in all five games, a homer in three of five contests and an RBI in four of five . . . Connor Owings has a hit in all five games, a homer in three of five and an RBI in three of five . . . This marked the 20^th time in 529 all-time games that High Point pitchers have held the opponents to three hits or fewer.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nick Longhi and Zander Wiel each hit home runs on Sunday to lead the High Point Rockers to a 4-2 win over Lexington and a season-opening four-game sweep of the Legends at Legends Field.

The Rockers are now 4-0 for the first time in club history and will put that mark on the line when they open the home season on Tuesday night against the Charleston Dirty Birds.

Longhi led off the top of the fourth with an opposite field homer to right, marking his third consecutive game with a home run.

The Rockers put up three runs in the sixth inning. Zander Wiel hit a solo homer with one out to put High Point up 2-0. It was Wiel’s first homer of the year and his 62^nd as a Rocker, extending his club record.

Longhi followed with a single before Lexington starter David Reckers (L, 0-1) walked Brian Parreira. A wild pitch moved the runners up a base before Jake Washer delivered an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. After the Legends brought in Joe Joe Rodriguez from the bullpen, he threw a wild pitch that allowed Parreira to score, extending the lead to 4-0.

High Point starter Jeremy Rhoades (W, 1-0) had a sterling outing, throwing five scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out six.

Neil Ramirez came on in the sixth inning and held the Legends scoreless through the seventh. In the eighth, Lexington’s Ryan Davis tripled before Payton Robertson singled to bring home Lexington’s first run. After stealing second, Robertson scored on a double by Matt Bottcher to make it a 4-2 Rockers lead.  Rockers manager Jamie Keefe turned to the bullpen and Austin Ross who retired Brady Whalen on one pitch to end the threat.

High Point’s Jameson McGrane walked Ryan January, the lead-off hitter, and Tristian Pompey to start the bottom of the ninth. A grounder to Parreira at first led to Pompey being retired at second but left runners on the corners with one out. McGrane fanned Wilmin Candelario for the second out and then struck out Ryan Davis looking for the final out, giving McGrane his first save of the year.

The Rockers will have a day off on Monday and then open the home season at Truist Point on Tuesday, April 30 at 6:35 p.m. against the Charleston Dirty Birds. High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson will be joined by a pair of 100-year old World War II veterans in Frank Meyers and Jim “Tank” Deal in throwing out the first pitch.

 

NOTES: The Rockers’ club record for consecutive games with a home run is four set by Zander Wiel during the 2022 season . . . High Point is 4-0 to start the season for the first time in the club’s five-year history . . . Rockers rotation for the Charleston series is expected to be LHP Brandon Leibrandt on Tuesday followed by RHP Peter Solomon and RHP Kyle Barraclough.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ben Aklinski blasted a pair of home runs and drove in a club record eight runs as the High Point Rockers blasted the Lexington Legends 19-7 on Saturday night at Legends Field. With the win, the Rockers move to 3-0 on the season for the first time in team history.

Aklinski hit a three-run homer in the fifth and a grand slam in the ninth as part of a five-homer night by High Point. In addition to 17 hits, the Rockers drew a team record 17 walks from Lexington pitchers.

The game marked the third-most runs ever scored by a Rockers team.

Aklinski finished with four hits as did Connor Owings. Martin Figueroa tied the club record with four walks and added his first homer as a Rocker.

The Rockers started the scoring with a pair of runs in the second. Ben Aklinski singled home a run and Connor Owings made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Jake Washer provided an RBI single in the third before the roof fell in on the Legends in the fourth. Evan Edwards singled home one run before Nick Longhi unloaded a three-run homer, his second of the year, to give the Rockers an 8-0 lead.

Lexington got on the board in the fourth with a pair of runs off Rockers’ starter Ryan Weiss. Keenan O’Brien hit a two-run single to center with the bases loaded to score two and cut the Rockers’ lead to 8-2.

The Rockers tacked on three more runs in the fifth when D.J. Burt led off with a single and Lexington reliever Parker Bugg walked Figueroa. Aklinski then unloaded a three-run homer for an 11-2 homer. And, for the second time this year, Owings made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot for a 12-2 advantage.

Drew Jemison hit a lead-off homer off Weiss I the bottom of the fifth to make it a 12-3 contest before Matt Bottcher added a solo shot of his own to make it 12-4. Following a Brady Whalen double, Rockers manager Jamie Keefe turned to lefty Jacob Edwards out of the bullpen who was able to escape the frame without any further damage.

The Rockers extended their lead to 13-4 with a run in the seventh. Owings walked, moved to third on a double by Wiel and scored on a swinging bunt base hit by Longhi. Owings added an RBI single in the eighth to put High Point up 14-4.

Zach Muckenhirn allowed a pair of hits and a walk in the eighth inning to load the bases before walking in a run. An infield grounder resulted in the Rockers committing a pair of e5rrors on the play, allowing two runs as Lexington pulled to within 14-7.

With the Rockers up 15-7 in the ninth, Aklinski added his sixth career grand slam to make it a 19-7 game. Aklinski is High Point’s all-time leader with six grand slams.

Weiss went 4.1 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs while walking one and fanning seven. Edwards pitched 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit while striking out two. Zach Muckenhirn came on in the eighth and Ryan Meisinger mopped up in the ninth.

Tomorrow’s series finale is slated for a 2 p.m. start at Legends Field. The Rockers open their home season on Tuesday night at 6:35 pm against the Charleston Dirty Birds.

 

NOTES: Figueroa drew four walks on the night, tying the club record . . . Ryan Meisinger has now pitched two complete innings for the Rockers and retired six hitters, all by strikeout.