GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers will look to rebound on Wednesday after dropping Game One of the Atlantic League South Division Championship series by a score of 12-1 on Tuesday night at Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park. Five Gastonia pitchers held the Rockers to just five hits in the contest.

The best-of-five series will continue Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. as the Rockers will send RHP Craig Stem (7-6, 4.01) to the mound against Gastonia RHP Alex Sanabia (7-5, 3.88).

The Honey Hunters were paced by Herlis Rodriguez who had four hits including a grand slam, and Jack Reinheimer who collected three hits.

Gastonia took a 1-0 lead in the second when Luis Castro hit a solo homer to left to give the Honey Hunters the early lead. The Rockers tied the game on a Jerry Downs solo homer to right off starter John Anderson in the top of the fourth. After Quincy Latimore flew out to the wall in right, Anderson walked Logan Morrison and hit Zander Wiel in the front foot with a pitch to put runners on first and second. Ben Aklinski slapped a single to left but Reece Hampton threw Morrison out at the plate as he tried to score from second.

In the fifth, Gastonia scored six times to take a 7-1 lead. Hampton drew a lead-off walk from Jannis and Reinheimer singled to put runners on the corners. After Reinheimer stole second, Joseph Rosa singled to center to plate Hampton. Following a mound visit from pitching coach Frank Viola, Jannis fanned Zach Jarrett but Jake Skole countered with an RBI single. Castro drew a walk to load the bases and Rodriguez then hit a grand slam to right to give the Honey Hunters a 7-1 advantage.

Skole hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh off High Point reliever Seth Frankoff to increase the margin to 8-1. That lead extended to 10-1 when Zach Jarrett hit a two-run homer off Liam O’Sullivan in the bottom of the eighth and then to 12-1 following a two-run single by Cole Freeman, also in the eighth.

Jannis went five innings and allowed eight hits and seven runs while walking four and striking out two. O’Sullivan allowed four hits and four runs in his lone inning of work.

Anderson held the Rockers to just three hits in his five innings of work while walking one and fanning five. Four Gastonia relievers each threw a shutout inning, giving up just two hits over the final four innings.

Notes: Game 2 will be played Wednesday night at 6:15 p.m. at CaroMont Health Park while Game 3 will be at Truist Point on Friday at 6:35 p.m.

YORK, Pa. – The High Point Rockers closed out the 2022 regular season on Sunday afternoon with a 9-3 loss at York. The Rockers will now focus their attention on Tuesday night’s opening game of the best-of-five Atlantic League South Division Championship Series.

The Rockers will open play at Gastonia’s Caromont Health Park on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. with game two of the series scheduled for Wednesday at Gastonia, also at 6:15 p.m. The Rockers will host Gastonia on Friday, September 23 at Truist Point at 6:35 p.m. Games four and five of the series, if necessary, will be played at Truist Point on Saturday and Sunday.

The Revolution scored a single run in each of the first five innings in building a 5-1 lead over the Rockers. The Rockers were down 2-0 in the third when Joe Johnson walked, moved to third on a single by pitcher Junior Rincon and scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Russell.

In the sixth, Tyler Ladendorf doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Roldani Baldwin doubled to score Ladendorf and pull the Rockers within 5-2. High Point added its final run in the sixth when Johnson again walked, took second on a single by Mike Gulino and scored on a single by pitcher Kyle Mott.

The Rockers used the day to get some work for the bullpen as manager Jamie Keefe readied the starting pitchers for the upcoming playoffs. Junior Rincon (L, 2-3) started and went three innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out four.

Mott tossed two innings while Gabriel Castellanos and Bryce Hensley each threw a single inning. The only hurler not to allow a run was infielder Giovanny Alfonzo who allowed a pair of hits in the ninth.

York was led by J.C. Encarnacion and Elmer Reyes who each had three hits. Reyes doubled and homered while driving in three runs as Troy Stokes, Jr. and Josue Herrera added homers for the Revs. York starter Courtney Mack (W, 3-2) went 6.1 innings and struck out seven while allowing six hits and all three High Point runs.

The Rockers will continue preparations for the playoff series with Gastonia on Monday.

YORK, Pa. – Michael Russell collected four hits and Zander Wiel hit his 32^nd home run of the season as the High Point Rockers took an 8-6 decision from the York Revolution at PeoplesBank Park on Saturday night.

After concluding Sunday’s regular season finale, the Rockers will head home and prepare for the start of the Atlantic League Division Series championship with Gastonia. High Point opens the playoffs at Gastonia on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home for game three at Truist Point on Friday, September 23.

Russell led off the game with a double and moved to third on a single by Michael Martinez. Quincy Latimore brought home Russell with a sacrifice fly just before Wiel blasted a two-run homer to left center that brough Martinez in to score for an early 3-0 Rockers lead.

High Point starter Neil Uskali (W, 5-5) allowed a single run in the third before York tied the game at 3-3 with a pair of runs in the fourth on a homer by Troy Stokes, Jr. and a sac fly from Josue Herrera.

The Rockers regained the lead at 4-3 in the fifth as Russell singled, moved to second on a groundout by Martinez, and stole third. On the steal, York catcher Lenin Rodriguez threw the ball into left field allowing Russell to score.

The Revolution took a 6-4 lead in the fifth when Stokes, Jr. hit a three-run homer. High Point made it a 6-5 game in the sixth when Giovanny Alfonzo singled, moved to second on a groundout by J.R. DiSarcina and scored on a Russell single.

The Rockers put the game away in the seventh when they loaded the bases on three consecutive singles by Latimore, Wiel and Roldani Baldwin. Alfonzo drew a walk that forced in the tying run, DiSarcina grounded to short allowing Wiel to score and Russell’s single brought Baldwin around to the plate and account for the final of 8-6.

Uskali went six innings and allowed all six runs on 11 hits while striking out seven. York’s Brett de Geus took the loss, allowing four hits and three runs in his one inning of relief.

The Rockers will finish out the regular season on Sunday at York with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

YORK, PA. – The York Revolution broke a 3-3 tie with the High Point Rockers, scoring the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to take a 4-3 decision at PeoplesBank Park on Friday night.

A night after clinching a playoff berth in the upcoming Atlantic League playoffs, the Rockers fielded an usual line-up, starting Giovanny Alfonzo in left field, J.R. DiSarcina in center and Roldani Baldwin in right. It marked the first appearance of the season in the outfield for all three.

Craig Stem went six strong innings for the Rockers, allowing just two runs while striking out six. Ivan Pineyro, activated from the injured list earlier in the day, made his first appearance since August, throwing an inning in preparation for the playoffs.

Trailing 2-0, the Rockers got on the board in the sixth inning when Quincy Latimore and Baldwin each singled and Latimore scored on a ground rule double by Tyler Ladendorf.

The Rockers were behind 3-1 in the ninth when they rallied for a pair of runs. Singles by Alfonzo and Michael Russell put two aboard and both scored on a double by Michael Martinez to tie the game at 3-3.

In the bottom of the ninth, reliever Junior Rincon (L, 2-2) walked Connor Lien to start the inning. Lien then stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. With Melky Mesa at-bat, Rincon threw a wild pitch that brought Lien home awith the winning run.

Russell and Ladendorf each had three hits for the Rockers who outhit the Revolution 12-8. Ladendorf smacked two of High Point’s five doubles in the game. York closer Jim Fuller (W, 5-6) was the winning pitcher despite allowing both Rocker runs on three hits in the ninth inning.

High Point and York will play the middle game of the regular season-closing three-game series on Saturday at 6:30 at PeoplesBank Park.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers clinched a spot in the four-team Atlantic League playoffs with an 8-3 win over Gastonia in front of 3,352 fans at Truist Point on Thursday night. The win provided the Rockers with a Wild Card entry into the playoffs which begin next week.

The Rockers and Honey Hunters were scoreless through three as both starting pitchers, Mitch Atkins (W, 3-0) for High Point and lefty Ian McKinney (L, 7-4) for Gastonia, limited the opponent’s baserunners.

Gastonia broke the ice first with a pair of runs in the third inning. Emmanuel Tapia led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a single by Stuart Levy and scored on a single by Reece Hampton. Cole Freeman used a sacrifice bunt to move Levy to third and he scored on a groundout by Joseph Rosa.

The Rockers answered in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run outburst. McKinney walked Jerry Downs and Quincy Latimore to start the inning and then Zander Wiel blasted a three-run homer, his 31^st of the year.

The Honey Hunters knotted the game in the fifth on a double by Levy who then moved to third on a ground out by Hampton, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Freeman.

The Rockers took the lead for good with three runs in fifth. Logan Moore looped a single to center and McKinney walked Michael Martinez to put two aboard. Quincy Latimore then hit the first pitch from McKinney for a towering homer to left, his 21^st of the season, putting High Point in front 6-3.

The Rockers added single runs in the sixth and ninth with Giovanny Alfonzo collecting run scoring singles in both innings.

The Rockers improved to 70-59 overall and 31-32 in the second half of the South Division. The win clinched the Wild Card over the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes who are 64-63 with five games remaining and cannot reach the 70-win mark.

The Rockers will face Gastonia again next week in the Atlantic League’s South Division Championship Series. Games one and two are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, September 20 and 21 at Gastonia’s Caromont Health Park. The Rockers will host the Honey Hunters in game three at Truist Point on Friday, September 23. Games four and five, if necessary, will be played at Truist Point on Saturday and Sunday.

The Rockers finish the regular season this weekend with a three-game series at York on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers remain on the verge of clinching an Atlantic League playoff spot but will have to hold off for another day. The Rockers dropped a 15-1 decision to Gastonia on Wednesday night at Truist Point. The Rockers maintain a 4.5 game lead over Kentucky which defeated Staten Island 16-10 on Tuesday.

The Rockers are 69-59 on the year with four games remaining and the Genomes stand at 64-63 with five games to play. One win by the Rockers or one loss by the Genomes will send High Point to the postseason.

Gastonia scored four times in the first inning on five hits, a walk and a hit batter off Rockers’ starter Liam O’Sullivan (L, 4-6). The Honey Hunters scored two in the third and tallied five times in the fourth in building an 11-0 lead.

Gastonia starter Alex Sanabia (W, 7-5) allowed just three hits through his five innings or work, two of them singles by Michael Russell.

The Rockers’ lone run scored in the seventh on Russell’s third hit of the night, a walk to Ben Aklinski, a single by Logan Morrison and a fielder’s choice RBI by Quincy Latimore. Russell was the only Rocker with more than one hit.

High Point and Gastonia will have their final regular season meeting of the year on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. The game will feature the One Last Blast postgame fireworks show presented by Lumos. Fans can watch the fireworks show from the field.