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.

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.