HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers moved a step closer to clinching a berth in the Atlantic League playoffs but were unable to clinch a trip to the postseason, falling at home to Gastonia 10-3 on Tuesday night at Truist Point. With a magic number of two entering the game, the Rockers received the help they needed from Staten Island as the FerryHawks handed Kentucky a 4-1 defeat in New York.

High Point is 69-58 overall on the year and still holds a 5.5-game lead over Kentucky for the Atlantic League’s Wild Card playoff spot. Lancaster defeated York on Tuesday night to wrap up the second half North title. The Rockers hold a magic number of one win or one Genome loss in order to secure a spot in the playoffs.

The Rockers managed just two hits through the first seven innings before rallying in the eighth and ninth frames. Michael Russell and Logan Morrison each hit solo homers in the first two frames but the Rockers were held hitless in innings three through eight.

The Honey Hunters scored twice in the first when High Point starter Mickey Jannis (L, 2-2) walked lead-off hitter Reece Hampton who then stole second base. A single by Jack Reinheimer put runners on the corners. With Jannis’ knuckleball moving, catcher Roldani Baldwin had a challenge and Hampton was able to score on the first of two passed balls. A groundout from Zach Jarrett brought home Reinheimer to give the Honey Hunters a 2-0 lead.

Russell hit a lead-off homer for the Rockers in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 2-1 but a Herlis Rodriguez solo homer in the second extended Gastonia’s advantage to 3-1. Morrison answered with a solo homer to right in the second, drawing the Rockers within a run at 3-2.

Gastonia’s lead grew to 5-2 in the second when Hampton doubled, stole third and scored on a wild pitch and Reinheimer struck out but reached first on the same wild pitch. A stolen base, a wild pitch moved him to third and Jarrett singled to make it a 5-2 game. Reinheimer knocked a two-run single in the fourth to give Gastonia a 7-2 lead.

High Point rallied in the eighth and brought the tying run to the plate. With one out, Michael Martinez reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on a single by Giovanny Alfonzo before scoring on a Ben Aklinski single. Gastonia reliever Tim Naughton gave up a pinch-single to Tyler Ladendorf but then struck out Latimore with the bases loaded to escape the jam.

Jannis went four innings and allowed six hits and seven runs, five earned. He walked three and struck out five. Gastonia starter Gunnar Kines (W, 1-0) pitched six innings, holding the Rockers to two hits while striking out eight.

High Point and Gastonia will play the middle game of their three-game series on Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

LEXINGTON, Ky, – The High Point Rockers, who had a chance to clinch an Atlantic League playoff berth on Sunday night, will have to wait and celebrate after Kentucky took a 9-7 decision from the Rockers on Sunday afternoon at Wild Health Field.

High Point is 69-57 on the season and continue to lead the ALPB Wild Card race. The Rockers have a 5.5 game lead on Kentucky with six games left to play. The Genomes have seven remaining contests.

The Rockers tallied a single run in the top of the first when Michael Russell hit a solo homer, his eighth of the year. But the Genomes, after being held to just five runs over the first two games of the series, scored three runs in the first and four more in the second off High Point starter Neil Uskali. Kentucky’s Moises Sierra hit a two-run homer to highlight the first inning. Felix Pie hit a solo homer in the second and Khris Davis added a three-run shot in the same inning as the Genomes built a 7-2 lead. Quincy Latimore added a solo homer in the second for the Rockers.

The Rockers got a run back in the third on a Ben Aklinski solo homer and cut the deficit to 7-4 in the fourth when Michael Martinez slapped an RBI double. Martinez added another RBI double in the sixth to pull the Rockers to within two at 7-5.

Kentucky extended its lead to 9-5 with a pair of runs off reliever Bryce Hensley in the seventh.

In the eighth, Zander Wiel became the first Rocker to reach the 30-homer mark when he homered with nobody aboard.

High Point rallied in the top of the ninth when Martinez singled, his fourth hit of the afternoon. Russell’s double scored Martinez to make it a 9-7 game. But Genome reliever Robbie Ross, Jr. was able to escape the inning and give Kentucky the win.

Martinez had four hits, two doubles and two RBI. Russell had a pair of hits, a double and a homer, and two RBI.

With six games remaining in the regular season, Wiel can expand his season record totals of 30 homers and 93 RBI.

Uskali (L, 4-5) took the loss, allowing seven runs and eight hits over five innings.

The Rockers will have an off-day on Monday and then return home for their final three-game regular season series of the year. The Rockers host Gastonia on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at Truist Point. All game times are set for 6:35 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The High Point Rockers moved one step closer to clinching an Atlantic League playoff spot with a 14-2 win over the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes on Saturday night at Wild Health Field.

The Rockers have a magic number of one to eliminate the Genomes from Wild Card contention. The Rockers still need Gastonia to clinch the second half South Division title in order to necessitate the entry of a Wild Card team into the playoffs. First half champions Gastonia and Southern Maryland have already clinched playoff berths. Lancaster leads Southern Maryland by three games in the second half North Division. Gastonia’s magic number to win the South is one and if the Honey Hunters win either game of their home doubleheader with Lexington on Sunday, the Honey Hunters would repeat as South Champion.

The Rockers moved to within one game of a playoff berth with another raucous offensive performance on Saturday night. The Rockers hit five homers and collected 17 base hits. Jerry Downs and Quincy Latimore started the scoring with RBI singles in the first and the Rockers were never challenged after that.

High Point added four runs in the third on a pair of two-run homers from Roldani Baldwin and Giovanny Alfonzo. The Rockers scored four more in the fourth on RBI singles by Latimore and Tyler Ladendorf and a two-run double from Baldwin. Ben Aklinski would add a two-run blast in the seventh before Ladendorf and Baldwin each hit solo shots in the eighth.

Craig Stem (W, 7-6) started and went six innings and struck out four. And while he allowed 10 hits, Stem held the Genomes to just two runs in earning his 13^th career win as a Rocker. Joe Johnson tossed two scoreless innings in relief while Cam Cotter held the Genomes scoreless in the ninth.

Baldwin finished the game with three hits, a double and two homers and five RBI. Aklinski, Latimore, Alonzo and Ladendorf each had a pair of RBI. Latimore finished with four hits including a pair of doubles.

High Point is now 69-56 on the season and crossed the .500 mark for the second half at 30-29.

Rockers finish the series at Kentucky on Sunday at 2:05 before returning home for a three-game series with Gastonia starting on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The High Point Rockers scored early and scored often in taking a 12-3 win from the Kentucky Genomes at Wild Health Field on Friday night. The victory gives the Rockers a 5.5 game lead over Kentucky in the Atlantic League Wild Card race.

High Point starter Mitch Atkins (W, 2-0) won his second straight start, tossing five innings of four-hit baseball, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out three.

Offensively, the Rockers were led by Logan Morrison and Zander Wiel who each had four hits, Quincy Latimore who had a homer and a game-high four RBI, and Jerry Downs who blasted a three-run homer.

The Rockers started the game with bang, scoring four times in the top of the first off Kentucky starter and former Rocker Max Povse (L, 5-10). The first five hitters that High Point sent to the plate slapped base hits: Michael Russell led off the game with a single and was followed by Michael Martinez who also singled. Downs then blasted a three-run homer, his 22^nd of the year. After a double by Morrison and a single by Wiel, Latimore added a sac fly to round out the inning.

Latimore would add a three-run homer in the third, his 19^th of the year, and Morrison added a solo shot in the ninth to bring his season total to 14.

Gabriel Castellanos, Cam Cotter and Bryce Hensley each threw scoreless innings in relief while Junior Rincon yielded a meaningless two runs during his one inning of work.

The Rockers improved to 68-56 overall on the season and reached the .500 mark at 29-29 in the second half of the Atlantic League season.

The Rockers and Genomes play the second game of the three-game series on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Wild Health Field.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Logan Morrison drove in four runs with a two-run homer and a two-run double to lead the High Point Rockers to a 6-5 win over the Lancaster Barnstormers Thursday night at Truist Point.

The win puts the Rockers at 67-56 overall and 28-29 in the second half. With the victory, the Rockers claimed the series 2-1 and moved closer to clinching a Wild Card berth into the Atlantic League playoffs. For that to happen, the Rockers need Gastonia to repeat as South Division champions. High Point is then in contention with both Lexington and the Genomes for the Wild Card berth. Following Thursday’s games, the Rockers hold a 4.5 game lead over Kentucky for the top wild card spot and a 6.5 game lead over Long Island.

Lancaster’s Trayvon Robinson lined a one-out homer in the top of the first to stake the Barnstormers to a 1-0 lead. Morrison answered with a home run off the top of the scoreboard with Michael Martinez aboard to put the Rockers in front 2-1. Lancaster tied the game at 2-2 in the third on a double by Trace Loehr and an RBI double from Robinson.

High Point took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third when Martinez singled, moved to second on a walk to Morrison and scored on Quincy Latimore’s single. The Rockers extended the lead to 4-2 in the fourth when Zander Wiel drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on a single by Ben Aklinski, stole third, then scored on Giovanny Alfonzo’s single.

Liam O’Sullivan (W, 4-5) went six innings for the Rockers and allowed two runs on just four hits. He walked one and struck out one before leaving after the sixth with a 4-2 lead.

Seth Frankoff came on for O’Sullivan in the seventh and allowed a solo homer to Jacob Barfield as Lancaster closed the gap to 4-3.

The Rockers took the lead to 6-3 in the seventh when Michael Russell doubled, move to third on an infield single by Martinez and both runners scored on Morrison’s double into the left field gap.

Frankoff walked three in the eighth and allowed a single and a run to score on a wild pitch as the ‘Stormers drew to within 6-5. But Tyler Higgins (S, 4) came on to escape the inning and then set Lancaster down in order in the ninth to earn the save.

Lanaster starter Erik Manoah, Jr. (L, 3-3) went five innings and allowed four runs on five hits while walking five and striking out four.

The Rockers will head to Lexington, Ky. to play a three-game weekend series with the Wild Health Genomes. With High Point holding a 4.5 game lead over the Genomes in the Wild Card race, the Rockers can extend that lead with a good weekend. Game time on Friday is set for 6:35 p.m. at Wild Health Field.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Michael Martinez is used to September baseball. The seven-year Major League veteran was a key part of Cleveland’s run to the 2016 World Series. So when Martinez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in a 1-1 game for the High Point Rockers on Wednesday night, he certainly didn’t wilt under the pressure.

Instead, the Rockers’ second-year second baseman hit a 2-0 pitch from Lancaster reliever Brandyn Sittinger over the fence in right field for a walk-off grand slam, the second of the season from the Rockers. The slam gave High Point a 5-1 victory in a hard-fought, old school game during a time when the Rockers are scraping for every win while trying to grab a berth in the Atlantic League playoffs.

“I just wanted to put the ball in play,” said Martinez following the blast and the ensuing water cooler celebration. “The infield was in and I had a chance. It was a 2-0 pitch and I was looking fastball.”

The thrilling finish belied what had been a very old fashioned contest. Great pitching, few hits, fewer runs, and a pair of starting pitchers who each went seven or more innings.

High Point knuckleballer Mickey Jannis, another Major League veteran, had the Barnstormers chasing the elusive knuckler to the tune of seven strikeouts in 7.2 innings. He allowed just five hits and the lone run he yielded came in the second inning when Ariel Sandoval doubled and scored on a single by Anderson Feliz.

Likewise, Lancaster’s Oscar De La Cruz was nearly unhittable, striking out nine in his seven innings of work, giving up just three hits. De La Cruz was perfect through three and didn’t allow a hit until Martinez beat out an infield chopper to start the fifth. After Jay Gonzalez sacrificed Martinez to second, Giovanny Alfonzo laced a double over the head of rightfielder Jacob Barfield, scoring Martinez and knotting the game at 1-1.

De La Cruz departed after the seventh and Gray Fenter threw a scoreless eighth for the Barnstormers. Jannis exited with two outs in the eighth with runners at first and second and Ryan Dull came on to retire Andretty Cordero and end the inning. Dull allowed a double in the top of the ninth but struck out three to keep the game tied going to the bottom of the ninth.

Zander Wiel walked on a 3-2 pitch from reliever Brandyn Sittinger to open the ninth and Quincy Latimore doubled down the leftfield line to put runners at second and third. The Barnstormers elected to intentionally walk Logan Morrison and brought in Chris Proctor from rightfield to set up a five-man infield.  That’s when Martinez unloaded on Sittinger’s 2-0 fastball.

The win puts the Rockers at 66-56 overall on the year and a half-game in front of Lancaster (65-56) in the Atlantic League Wild Card race.

With the series square at one game apiece, the Rockers and Barnstormers will meet for the final time in the regular season on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. High Point will send Liam O’Sullivan (3-5, 7.17 ERA) to the mound to face Erik Manoah, Jr. (3-2, 4.16). It will be Thirsty Thursday with $1 beer specials and also Pink at the Point with the Rockers wearing special jerseys that will be auctioned off following the game with the proceeds going to fight breast cancer.