CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers’ offense came alive on Thursday night in a 12-1 win over Charleston at Appalachian Power Park. The Rockers banged out 16 hits including a club-record eight doubles in winning their fifth straight game. A trio of High Point pitchers held the Dirty Birds to just three hits while striking out 14.

Michael Russell and Logan Morrison each had three hits including a pair of doubles while Giovanny Alfonzo added three hits and one double. Quincy Latimore blasted a three-run homer that set the club record for career RBI and tied the career mark with 42 home runs.

The win gives the Rockers a 56-49 overall record and a 17-22 mark in the second half. Losses on Thursday by Kentucky and Lancaster have moved the Rockers into a 1.5 game lead in the race for the Atlantic League Wild Card race. The Wild Card team would earn a berth in the playoffs if either Southern Maryland or Gastonia repeat as second half division champions.

High Point took a 1-0 lead in the first when Morrison doubled and Zander Wiel followed with an RBI double. The Rockers added three runs in the second inning when Jay Gonzalez reached on an error and Alfonzo drew a walk from Charleston starter Alec Kisena (L, 0-2). Russell then cleared the bases with a triple. Morrison then delivered an RBI single to plate Russell for a 4-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Wiel blasted his 26^th home run of the season to put the Rockers up 5-0.

The Rockers scored six times in the fourth when they started the inning with a club record three consecutive doubles from Russell, Morrison and Jerry Downs. Russell was thrown out at the plate on Morrison’s double but Downs picked up the RBI when he drove home Morrison. Wiel then reached on a fielding error by Charleston center fielder Anfernee Seymour before Latimore hit his 15^th homer of the season. It was also Latimore’s 42^nd of his High Point career, tying Stephen Cardullo for the most career home runs as a Rocker.  Latimore’s round-tripper was followed by a single from Roldani Baldwin, a double from Gonzalez, an RBI single from Alfonso and a run-scoring ground out by Mike Gulino. When the smoke cleared, the Rockers were up 11-0.

In the seventh, Gulino singled and then scored on a double by Russell.

The Dirty Birds notched their lone run on a Scott Burcham home run off Jannis in the eighth.

High Point starter Mitch Atkins drew his second start of the season after spending the first four months of the season rehabbing from an arm injury suffered last season. Atkins went four innings and allowed just one hit while walking two and striking out four. Knuckleballer Mickey Jannis (W, 1-1) came on in the fifth and struck out eight in his four innings of work. Joe Johnson worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning and struck out two.

High Point will open a three-game series at South Division-leading Gastonia on Friday night at 6:15 p.m. at Caromont Health Park.

NOTES: Wiel’s 26^th home run leaves him one shy of the club season record of 27 set by Richie Shaffer in 2019… Wiel set the season record for RBI with 83, breaking Jerry Downs’ mark of 81 set last season… Quincy Latimore hit his 42^nd home run as a Rocker to tie Stephen Cardullo for the club record for career homers… High Point set a record for doubles in an inning with four in the fourth and the three consecutive doubles that inning were also a record… Latimore and Downs are now tied for the most career RBI as a Rocker with 149 each… Stephen Cardullo held the previous mark of 146.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – It didn’t take long for new High Point catcher Roldani Baldwin to make a good impression on his Rockers teammates. The former Boston Red Sox farmhand and Dominican Republic native was released by Boston’s Class AAA Worcester team on August 5. On Tuesday of this week, he joined the Rockers and manager Jamie Keefe immediately inserted him into the starting line-up.

Baldwin was behind the plate for Tuesday’s 8-4 win over Charleston as he belted a three-run homer in helping to power the Rockers to the win.

And if that wasn’t enough to convince his teammates that he can play, Baldwin gave an encore performance on Wednesday night, collecting a double and a homer and scoring twice in leading the Rockers to a 4-1 win over the Dirty Birds. The win was the fourth straight for the Rockers as they heat up in their second half pursuit of the Atlantic League’s South Division pennant.

Baldwin had some familiarity with the Rockers, having been a Red Sox teammate with Jeter Downs, the brother of High Point first baseman Jerry Downs, and pitcher Kutter Crawford, the brother of former Rockers reliever Jonathon Crawford.

“Roldani’s had an immediate impact,” said Keefe on Wednesday night. “He is a very experienced catcher who has been around the game a long time and has great tools. He knows how to work with our pitching staff and has earned the trust and respect of his teammates very quickly.”

Baldwin’s arrival will add to High Point’s already talented corps of catchers in Mike Gulino and Dakota Mulcay

Wednesday night’s game was scoreless through five as starters High Point’s Ivan Pineyro (W, 5-3) and Charleston’s Derrick Adams (L, 5-7) kept the hits to a minimum. Pineyro, who moved into a tie for the team lead with his fifth win of the season, went five innings and allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out three and keeping Charleston scoreless.  Adams went eight innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits while striking out seven and not issuing a walk.

The Rockers broke the ice in the fifth when Baldwin doubled to lead off the inning. Jay Gonzalez was thrown out on a swinging bunt by Adams, moving Baldwin to third. From there, Giovanny Alfonzo drove a fly ball to right with Baldwin scoring on the sacrifice fly.

In the sixth. Michael Russell singled, moved to second on a single by Ben Aklinski then took third on a Downs ground out. Zander Wiel’s fly ball to center scored Russell on yet another sacrifice fly.

The Dirty Birds cut the lead in half in the seventh off reliever Devin Fontenot. Charleston’s Devon Torrence drew a walk and then the former Ohio State cornerback stole second and moved to third on a ground out by Miles Williams. Scott Burcham lined a single to center to bring Torrence home and make it a 2-1 game.

 

But Baldwin settled matters in the top of the ninth. Ricardo Gomez relieved Adams to start the inning and Quincy Latimore beat out an infield single. Baldwin then blasted a home run to left to put the Rockers up 4-1 and seal the win.

 

Tyler Higgins allowed one hit and struck out one in pitching the ninth inning and earning his first save of the season.

 

The Rockers are now 55-49 overall and 16-22 in the second half. While High Point still has a substantial deficit to make up in catching Gastonia for the second half title, Wednesday’s win, coupled with a loss by Kentucky, put the Rockers at least temporarily in a tie for the top wild card berth, pending the outcome of Lancaster’s game with York.

 

The Rockers will go for the sweep of the three-game series on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. at Appalachian Power Park.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers overcame a 3-0 deficit with seven runs, all with two outs, in the third inning and went on to defeat the Charleston Dirty Birds 8-4 on Tuesday night at Appalachian Power Park. The win was High Point’s third consecutive and the Rockers have won four of their last five games.

With one out in the third, Giovanny Alfonzo and Michael Russell drew walks from Charleston starter Kit Scheetz (L, 5-1). Ben Aklinski struck out for the second out of the inning. Scheetz then hit Jerry Downs with a pitch to load the bases. Zander Wiel drew an RBI walk before Quincy Latimore cleared the bases with a three-run double. Logan Morrison became the second Rocker to be hit by a pitch in the inning and then newcomer Roldani Baldwin, in his second at-bat as a Rocker, blasted a three-run homer.

The Rockers added a run in the seventh when Wiel drilled a ground-rule double to center field then scored on a Latimore single.

Starter Liam O’Sullivan (W, 2-4) went five innings for the Rockers and allowed eight hits and four runs while walking two and striking out six. The Rockers got to Scheetz, the Charleston starter, for seven runs on just two hits and four walks in his three innings of work.

Junior Rincon held the Dirty Birds scoreless in the sixth and seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out two. Gabriel Castellanos pitched the eighth and ninth, striking out two and allowing a single hit.

Latimore finished the night with two hits and four RBI while Baldwin had three runs batted in.

The Rockers are now 15-22 in the second half and 54-49 on the season.

The Rockers will meet Charleston again on Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Appalachian Power Park in the middle game of the three-game series.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning on Jay Gonzalez’s RBI double and went on to post a 6-3 win over Gastonia on Sunday in the final game of a three-game series. The win gave the Rockers a 2-1 series win.

The Rockers improved to 53-49 overall and 14-22 in the second half of the season. South Division-leading Gastonia is now 70-32 overall and 25-11 in the second half.

Gonzalez’s fifth inning ground rule double to the right-center gap scored Ben Aklinski who reached base on an infield hit. Gastonia starter Ian McKinney (L, 5-2) then hit Jerry Downs with a pitch to put runners on first and second. After retiring Zander Wiel on a fly out, Quincy Latimore grounded to third and the Honey Hunters forced Downs at second with Aklinski moving to third. Gonzalez then battled to a 2-2 count before getting the go-ahead hit.

The Rockers extended their lead to 6-3 in the seventh when Aklinski walked and scored on Latimore’s two-run homer, his 14^th of the year.

The Honey Hunters were stymied by High Point starter Craig Stem (W, 5-3) who struck out a career-high 10 while allowing three runs and six hits and just two walks.  Tyler Higgins struck out two in the eighth in his lone inning of work to earn a hold and Ryan Dull added a pair of strikeouts in the ninth in earning his 12^th save of the year.

Gastonia struck in the first as Joseph Rosa blasted a solo homer with two outs to put the Honey Hunters in front 1-0. But High Point rebounded in their half as McKinney walked Michael Russell and Aklinski to start the game then allowed a two-run single to Downs. Gonzalez bounced out as Downs scored to give the Rockers a 3-1 lead.

Gastonia’s Jack Skole led off the third with a triple and scored on a double by Darian Sandford to pull within 3-2. The Honey Hunters tied the game in the top of the fifth on a single by Jack Reinheimer and an RBI single from Luis Roman.

The Rockers will have a day off on Monday and then will start a six-game road trip at Charleston on Tuesday night.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning on a Logan Morrison RBI single and went on to take a 5-3 win from the Gastonia Honey Hunters Saturday night in front of 2,044 fans at Truist Point.

Morrison’s line drive to left in the seventh scored Jerry Downs who was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Zander Wiel followed Downs with a double to put runners on second and third and set the table for Morrison’s RBI single. Gastonia replaced Onas Farfan with Euclides Leyer following Morrison’s hit and Leyer induced Quincy Latimore to ground out. Jay Gonzalez was intentionally walked to load the bases before Leyer walked Giovanny Alfonzo to force in Wiel and give the Rockers a 5-3 advantage.

High Point reliever Tyler Higgins struck out two Honey Hunters in shutting down Gastonia in the eighth. Ryan Dull allowed a double in the ninth but retired Gastonia on a strikeout and pair of infield pop outs to earn his 11^th save of the year.

Neil Uskali started for the Rockers and went six innings, walking just one and striking out five. Junior Rincon (W, 1-1) pitched a scoreless seventh for the Rockers before handing it off to Higgins in the eighth.

The Rockers took an early 1-0 lead when Michael Russell led off the game with a single and stole second before scoring on a Downs double. High Point extended that to 2-0 in the second when Alfonzo singled, stole second and scored on Russell’s RBI double.  Gastonia tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth on a two-run single by Alex Holderbach.

The Rockers went ahead 3-2 in the fourth as Alfonzo doubled and scored on a groundout by Downs.  Gastonia knotted the game at 3-3 on Zach Jarrett’ solo homer in the sixth inning.

High Point is now 13-22 in the second half and 52-49 on the season. Gastonia stands at 25-10 in the second half and 70-31 overall.

High Point and Gastonia will conclude their three-game series at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Gastonia Honey Hunters scored five runs in the fifth inning to erase a 3-0 High Point lead and went on to defeat the Rockers 9-4 Friday night in front of a crowd of 2,188 at Truist Point.

Both starting pitchers cruised through the first three innings. High Point’s Bryan Quillens allowed four hits through four innings while striking out five and keeping the Honey Hunters off the board. Gastonia starter Dakota Chalmers struck out six Rockers in his three innings of work.  Chalmers left after the third and the Rockers greeted reliever Reilly Hovis with a three-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, the Rockers put together five straight base hits. Giovanny Alfonzo and Mike Gulino singled before Michael Russell doubled to score Alfonzo. Ben Aklinski beat out a slow chopper to short for an infield hit that scored Gulino. Jerry Downs then lined an RBI single up the middle to plate Russell and give High Point a 3-0 advantage.

Quillens exited after the fourth inning due to an injury and Cole Aker was summoned from the bullpen. After a lead-off single by Stuart Levy, Jake Skole hit a two-run homer. Aker walked Reece Hampton and Jack Reinheimer beat out an infield single. Gabriel Castellanos took over for Aker and allowed an RBI fielder’s choice to Zach Jarrett and also scored two runners on wild pitches as the Honey Hunters took a 5-3 advantage.

Levy doubled to lead-off the sixth for Gastonia and scored on a sac fly by Hampton to give the Honey Hunters a 6-3 lead. A triple by Joseph Rosa in the seventh followed by a run-scoring single from Jarrett and a sac fly by Levy put Gastonia up 8-3.

The Rockers rallied in the eighth, putting two runners on before Russell stroked an RBI double to make it an 8-4 game. But the rally died and Gastonia added another run on a single, an error and a wild pitch in the ninth.

Aker (L, 2-3) took the loss while Hovis (W, 6-5) earned the victory.

High Point is now 51-49 on te season and 12-22 in the second half. Gastonia improved to 70-30 and 25-9.

High Point and Gastonia meet in the second game of the three-game series on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.