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.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers banged out 15 hits and cruised to their fifth straight victory with a 12-2 win over York on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point.

The win puts the Rockers at 65-55 overall and 26-28 in the second half of the Atlantic League season. With Kentucky’s win over Gastonia and Lancaster’s victory over Southern Maryland on Sunday, the Rockers will maintain a half-game lead on the Barnstormers in the Wild Card race and a 2.5-game lead on Kentucky.

The Rockers were led by Michael Russell, Michael Martinez and Jerry Downs who each had three hits. Downs had three RBI on a sac fly and a two-run double while adding a pair of singles. Martinez drove in a run with a solo homer leading off the Rockers’ six-run second inning while Russell reached on three singles. Zander Wiel knocked in a pair of runs on infield groundouts in each of the first two innings.

Craig Stem (W, 6-6) went five innings and allowed just four hits and two runs while striking out three. The win was the 12^th of Stem’s career with the Rockers, giving him the franchise record for career wins. Stem had previously tied the club mark of 11 set by Tommy Lawrence in 2021.

Junior Rincon pitched the sixth inning for the Rockers, Gabriel Castellanos hurled the seventh and eighth and Joe Johnson finished up by throwing the ninth. None of the relievers allowed a run.

York’s two runs came in the third when J.C. Encarnacion knocked a two-run homer, his 13^th of the year.

The Rockers will enjoy an off-day on Labor Day and then continue the current homestand by hosting Gastonia on Tuesday, September 6 at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

NOTES: Stem’s 12 wins is one more than Tommy Lawrence (2021) won for the club record for career wins. Stem won one game with the Rockers in 2019, five games in 2021 and six games in 2022.

With three strikeouts on Sunday, Stem pushed his club record for career strikeouts to 198.

Rockers have now won five straight game and will prepare to host Gastonia in a mid-week series starting on Tuesday, Sept. 6.