HIGH POINT, N.C. – Ben Aklinski hit a two-run triple in the eighth inning to pull the High Point Rockers from a 4-3 deficit to a 5-4 win over the Lexington Legends in front of a crowd of 2,155 on Friday night at Truist Point. Aklinski drove in three runs on the night to pace the Rockers for their fifth straight win and a 4-0 lead in the six-game series.

The win moves the Rockers to a league-best 64-39 overall record and a 23-17 mark in the second half. The Legends fall to 51-51 on the season and 20-19 in the second half.

Aklinski’s game-winning triple was the last nail in the coffin of the Legends who battled the Rockers throughout the game with excellent pitching and timely hitting.

High Point went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first as Luis Gonzalez and Drew Mendoza greeted Lexington starter Ben Ferrer with back-to-back singles with Gonzalez moving to third on an error by Lexington right fielder E.J. Cumbo. Aklinski then brought home Gonzalez by hitting into a 6-4 fielder’s choice.

The Legends tied the game in the top of the third on a walk to Brian Fuentes and a two-out triple from Xane Washington.

Rockers starter Alex Barker, signed earlier in the day and making his first appearance as a Rocker, went five innings in his first Atlantic League start, holding the Legends to three hits and one run while walking one and striking out four.

Lexington tallied three runs in the sixth off reliever Kyle Halbohn. Andy Atwood led off with a double to center and scored on a bloop single to right by Curtis Terry. Pedro Gonzalez followed with a two-run homer as Lexington went up 3-1.

The Rockers rebounded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth when Drew Mendoza belted a two-run homer to close the margin to 4-3.

Win Scott threw a scoreless seventh inning for High Point, pitching around a walk and a single. Gabe Klobosits (W, 3-0) hurled a three-up, three-down eighth before Jameson McGrane retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 13^th save of the season.

Aklinski’s game-winning triple came off Lexington reliever John Armstrong (L, 0-1) who came on with one on and one out in the eighth. He intentionally walked Mendoza to set up a potential double play but Aklinski spoiled the plan by lining the triple into the right field corner and scoring Burt and Mendoza.

Mendoza was the lone Rocker with two hits while also collecting a pair of RBI. Pedro Gonzalez had two hits and two RBI to go with his home run.

Game five of the six-game series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Saturday at Truist Point as the Rockers will send righty Erich Uelmen (4-3, 3.17) to the mound to face Lexington righty Colton Eastman (8-6, 5.69). Fans will be entertained during the game by the Zooperstars traveling show.  Rockers fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

 

NOTES: The Rockers acquired Alex Barker from the New Jersey Jackals of the Frontier League. Barker, who started Friday night, will take the place of Mike Devine in the High Point Rotation . . . Devine is out for the season with a shoulder injury . . . INF Max Viera was placed on the 7-day injured list and is expected back next week . . . The win gives the Rockers a 12-10 season advantage over the Legends . . . High Point’s five-game winning streak is its longest of the second half.

Rockers Home runs (exit velocity-distance): Mendoza (110-375)

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Alex Dickerson hit a pair of home runs and three Rockers pitchers held Lexington to seven hits in a 5-1 win by High Point over the Legends on Thursday night at Truist Point.

Dickerson blasted his 15^th and 16^th homers of the season to lead the Rockers offense.

High Point starter Ben Wereski (W, 1-3) and relievers Scott Rouse and Daniel Blair allowed the Legends just seven hits. The lone run scored in the second inning and no Lexington base runner reached second base after the third inning. Wereski departed after five innings with a 2-1 lead. He struck out seven, walked four and allowed just the one run on five hits.

Rouse and Blair each tossed two shutout innings, allowing one hit apiece and each struck out two without a walk.

The win pulls the Rockers to within one game of first place in the second half South Division race. Gastonia lost on Thursday to Southern Maryland to fall to 23-16. The Rockers are a game back at 22-17 and Lexington trails High Point by 1.5 games. High Point’s 63-39 overall record continues to pace the Atlantic League.

Drew Mendoza staked the Rockers to a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, his 16^th of the year. Lexington responded in the top of the second with a sac fly off the bat of Pedro Gonzalez to tie it up at 1-1.

The Rockers went up 2-1 in the top of the third on a cunningly smart play by D.J. Burt. After hitting a line drive to center, Burt tried to stretch it into a double. But the throw from center arrived well in front of Burt who slowed down to lure the shortstop into an easy tag. At the last moment, Burt went into a slide and successfully avoided the tag. Burt would score on Mendoza’s single to left.

Dickerson blasted a solo homer leading off the sixth to put the Rockers in front 3-1. In the seventh, following a walk to Mendoza, Dickerson hit his second homer as High Point surged to a 5-1 lead.

Game four of the six-game series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Friday at Truist Point with a fireworks shot to follow the contest. The Rockers will send lefty Alex Barker (0-0, 0.00) to the mound to make his first start as a Rocker. He will face Lexington righty Ben Ferrer (3-4, 5.79). Rockers fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

 

NOTES: The Rockers activated RHP David Hess from the inactive list prior to Thursday’s game and placed LHP Jonah Scolaro in the inactive list.

Rockers Home runs (exit velocity-distance): Mendoza (98-365);Dickerson (110-419), (110-397)

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers hit three homers and pounded out 14 hits in winning their second straight game from the Lexington Legends, 11-9, on Tuesday night at Truist Point.

The win propelled the Rockers in front of the Legends in the Atlantic League’s second half pennant race. High Point, 62-39 overall and 21-17 in the second half, moved a half-game in front of Lexington (20-17) and remain two games back of Gastonia (24-14).

Lexington jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run homer by Curtis Terry. The Rockers answered back, scoring five times in the bottom of the first on an Evan Edwards grand slam followed by Luke Napleton’s solo homer off Legends starter Patrick Wicklander (L, 10-7).

The Legends, not satisfied, tied the game at 5-5 on a bases-loaded three-run triple by Xane Washington in the top of the second. Washington then scored on a Rockers error as Lexington went up 6-5.

Brian Fuentes led off the top of the third with a solo homer to give the Legends a 7-5 advantage.

The Rockers tied the game at 7-7 in the third when D.J. Burt walked and scored on Luis Gonzalez’s homer to right, his 16^th of the year.

Jonah Scolaro (W, 8-4) tossed five innings and allowed six hits and seven runs while walking three and striking out five.

High Point took a 9-7 lead in the fifth when Gonzalez and Drew Mendoza singled off Jack Lynch with two outs. Aklinski drove both runners in with a double to left.

In the sixth, Edwards walked, moved to second on a single by Napleton, and eventually scored on a wild pitch by Carson Lambert as High Point extended its lead to 10-6.

The lead increased to 11-7 in seventh as Burt singled, stole second and third and scored an an Aklinski sac fly to center.

Lexington rallied for a pair of runs in the in the ninth off Zach Vennaro before Cam Cotter was summoned from the pen to retire the final two batters and earn his first save of the season.

Edwards finished the night with five RBI on three hits while Aklinski added three hits and drove in two. Washington had three hits and three RBI to lead Lexington.

Game three of the six-game series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Thursday at Truist Point. The Rockers will send lefty Ben Wereski (0-3, 6.13) to the mound to face Lexington righty Nic Laio (8-5, 6.08). Rockers fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

NOTES:  D.J. Burt singled in the first inning for his 250^th career hit as a Rocker . . . Ben Aklinski’s first inning single marked his 100^th hit of the year, giving him five straight seasons with 100 or more hits . . . Evan Edwards’ first inning grand slam was his third of the year and the Rockers’ 12^th grand slam of the season . . .

Roockers Home runs (exit velocity-distance): Edwards 114-424; Napleton 106-403; Gonzalez 103-370;

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers broke up a 2-2 game with three runs in the sixth inning to take the first game of the series from the Lexington Legends 5-3 on Tuesday night at Truist Point. Alex Dickerson hit an RBI double and Luke Napleton crushed a two-run homer to lead the sixth inning outburst.

With the win, the Rockers improve to 61-39 overall and 20-17 in the second half. Lexington fell to 51-48 and 20-16.

The Rockers took a 2-0 lead in the third when Aidan Brewer and D.J. Burt each singled and scored on sacrifice flies from Luis Gonzalez and Ben Aklinski.

Lexington knotted the game with solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Jerry Huntzinger hit a sac fly to score Pedro Gonzalez and Curtis Terry provided an RBI single to make it a 2-2 game.

High Point’s sixth inning started with Ben Aklinski drawing a lead-off walk from reliever Simon Gregersen (L, 0-1). Aklinski scored on a double to right-center from Dickerson. One batter later, Napleton unloaded his fifth homer to stake the Rockers to a 5-2 advantage.

Gabe Klobosits (W, 2-0) threw three innings of two-hit relief and struck out two to earn the win. Cam Cotter tossed a shutout eighth inning and Kyle Halbohn (S 5) earned the save despite allowing a run in the ninth.

Napleton and Brewer each finished with a pair of hits for the Rockers while Lexington received two-hit efforts from Brady Whalen and Jerry Huntzinger.

Game two of the six-game series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Wednesday at Truist Point. The Rockers will send lefty Jonah Scolaro (7-4, 5.30) to the mound to face Lexington lefty Patrick Wicklander (10-6, 5.78). Rockers fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.

NOTES: The Rockers activated OF Luis Gonzalez, INF Braxton Davidson and RHP Fin Del Bonta-Smith from the inactive list prior to Tuesday’s game . . . Rockers have stolen 28 consecutive bases without being caught.