RECAP: Staten Island Ferryhawks 11, High Point Rockers 6
Thursday, June 19, 2025

By Camden Connolly

HIGH POINT, N.C.- The Staten Island FerryHawks used a six-run third inning to end the High Point Rockers eight-game winning streak, taking Thursday night’s game 11-6 at Truist Point. The win prevented the Rockers from a series sweep.

High Point (35-13) remains in control of the Atlantic League’s South Division, holding a 7.5 game lead over second place Southern Maryland (27-20).

The Rockers entered the day with the third-best winning percentage in professional baseball at .745, trailing only Pecos League members Garden City (KS) at .889 (16-2) and Tucson (15-4) at .789.

Staten Island’s six-run third inning was highlighted by a two-run single from Mark Contreras, a three-run homer from Matt Scheffler, and a sacrifice fly that drove in Aaron Takas, creating a 8-1 lead.

The FerryHawks grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second on Brandon Martorano’s RBI triple off Rockers starter Kent Emanuel (L, 6-1). The FerryHawks Aaron Takas then knocked in Martorano, pushing their lead to 2-0.

The Rockers got on the scoreboard in the second inning due to a throwing error on Staten Island’s starter Shane Barringer (W, 2-2), allowing the Rockers Jack Conley to score and bringing the score to 2-1.

After the six-run third, Staten Island extended its lead to 10-1 in the fourth when Martorano slammed a two-run homer.

The Rockers’ Ian Yetsko singled to centerfield, earning him an RBI and pushing the Rockers to 10-2 in the sixth. In the eighth, Staten Islnd’s Mark Contreras sliced a single to right field, knocking in Shayne Fontana for the FerryHawks to extend their lead to 11-2.

The Rockers rallied for four runs in the ninth with Carlos Amezquita and Drew Mendoza providing RBI triples and a sac fly from Ben Aklinski.

Jack Conley had a pair of hits to lead the Rockers while Martorano finished with three hits and three RBI for the FerryHawks.

The Rockers will be on the road for a three-game series against the Lexington Legends at Legends Field, starting Friday, June 20.

NOTES: Due to the weather, the game start was delayed by 45 minutes for a 6:50 pm start time . . . The Rockers placed D.J. Burt on the inactive list (paternity leave). He is expected to return in July . . . Rocker’s Ben Aklinski had his 37-game on-base streak ended after going 0-for-4 . . . The loss was the Rockers first against a North Division opponent, ending a streak of 11 straight wins.

 

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point Rockers first baseman Evan Edwards and pitcher Matt Solter have been named the Atlantic League Player and Pitcher of the Month for April/May. The ALPB made the announcement on Wednesday.

Edwards, 27, led the Atlantic League in the three “triple crown” categories of batting average (.375), home runs (13) and RBI (43). Edwards played in 29 games, had 12 multiple-RBI games including a career-high seven against Southern Maryland on April 27, and added three multiple homer games. In addition, Edwards led the league in total bases and slugging percentage and was riding a league-best 15-game hitting streak when his contract was purchased by the Los Angeles Angels on May 29.

Solter, 31, went 4-1 with two complete game shutouts over the first five weeks of the season. He was one out away from a seven-inning no-hitter in a 3-0 win at Gastonia on April 28, finishing with a one-hitter. He then tossed a nine inning two-hit shutout over Lexington at May 17 and finished with six shutout innings in a win over Charleston on May 29. Solter posted a 3.78 ERA and struck out 34 in his 38 innings of work. Solter shares the Pitcher of the Month award with York reliever Cam Robinson who was 3-1 with seven saves for the Revolution.

Solter and Edwards were the spark plugs to High Point’s 25-8 start to the Atlantic League season and their seven-game lead in the ALPB’s South Division.

Edwards is just the second High Point position player to earn the league’s Player of the Month award, joining Dante Bichette, Jr. who earned the honor in April/May of 2019. Solter is the fourth High Point pitcher so honored along with Cooper Casad (July 2021), Tommy Lawrence (August 2021) and Brady Lail (April 2022).

By: Camden Connolly 

HIGH POINT, NC- For the second night in a row, the High Point Rockers Ben Aklinski launched a grand slam to lead the Rockers to an 8-1 win against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars on Saturday night at Truist Point.

High Point starter Kyle Barraclough (W, 4-0)  allowed only two hits over seven innings while striking out seven to help secure the win for the Rockers.

With the win, the Rockers continue to lead the Atlantic League’s South Division at 24-8 and hold a 6.5 game lead over second place Southern Maryland. The loss drops the Boxcars to 6-26.

Drew Mendoza started the scoring in the second inning when he led off with a walk from Boxcars starter David Richardson (L,1-5), and Max Viera beat out an infield single to put two men aboard. The Rockers Jack Conley doubled to drive in Mendoza before Cody Wilson slammed a two-run single to center field to plate both Conley and Viera, putting High Point ahead 3-0.

High Point did not stop there, with a double from Mendoza in the third. Viera plated him home with a single to center to keep the Rockers in the lead at 4-0.

Just like in the first game of this series, Akliniski put High Point in an even more comfortable position with the eleventh grand slam of his career.

The Boxcars saw their opportunity to score off High Point reliever Zach Verano in the eighth inning, when bases were loaded and Joe Delcua singled him home. This put the Boxcars on the board for a final score of 8-1.

The Rockers will look for the sweep in the concluding game of the series Sunday at 4:05 pm  Expect to see many glass slippers and shields in the stands, as everyone is encouraged to dress up for the Rockers Princess and Superhero Day Sunday afternoon.

NOTES: Ben Aklinski is one stolen base away from becoming just the third player in Atlantic League history to collect 100 homers and 100 stolen bases in a career . . . Aklinski has 111 career homers in his five years in the league and has 99 stolen bases.

By: Camden Connolly

Fighting to continue making history, the High Point Rockers look to collect their 11th straight series win against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars starting Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1 at Truist Point.

The Rockers lead the Atlantic League’s South Division at 22-8 after two of three games from the Charleston Dirty Birds in Charleston. The Flying Boxcars just wrapped up their series with the York Revolution with a 6-24 record and they have lost their last three contests.

This will be the Flying Boxcars’ first appearance at Truist Point as they hosted the Rockers last year in Hagerstown. Shane Turner will be on the road with the Boxcars for the first time after replacing manager Mark Mason on Sunday, May 25.

High Point’s Evan Edwards had his contract purchased by the Los Angeles Angels late Thursday night. Edwards was having a historic season, leading the league in batting average (.375), home runs (13) and RBI (43). Now the Rockers will turn to their quartet of .300 hitters in D.J. Burt (.319), Jack Conley (.313), Max Viera (.313) and Ben Aklinski (.304).

The Rocker’s Ben Aklinski is trying to become the third player in Atlantic League history with over 100 homers and 100 stolen bases in their career. He currently has 110 homers and 98 stolen bases.

Hagerstown’s offensive leader is Gary Mattis at .343 while Osvaldo Abreu leads the team with seven home runs while Erroll Robinson and Abreu each have a team-high 15 RBI.

The Rockers will be sending RHP Erich Uelmen to the mound Friday night. Uelmen has won his past two games and ranks sixth in the league with a 2.84 ERA. Hagerstown will be starting the series with RHP Daniel Corcino (1-4, 11.63).

The first game of the series will start at 6:35 pm on Friday, May 30, with a firework show after the game. Game two is set for 6:35 pm on Saturday, May 31, and the series finale will start at 4:05 pm on Sunday, June 1.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers’ first baseman Evan Edwards, the Atlantic League leader in batting average, home runs and RBI, has had his contract purchased by the Los Angeles Angels. Edwards, 27, will report to the Angels in the coming days.

The former NC State and Southern Guilford High slugger leads the Atlantic League with 13 home runs, 43 RBI and a .375 batting average. Edwards is riding a 15-game hitting streak which ties for the longest in club history.

A fourth round draft pick of the Marlins in 2019 out of NC State, Edwards spent one year in the Miami organization and three season in the Tampa Bay farm system. He joined the Rockers prior to the 2024 campaign and hit .272 with 22 home runs and 70 RBI.

A former All-Mid-Piedmont 3-A selection at Southern Guilford High School, Edwards was one of just two players to start every game for NC State in 2019. He was among the Wolfpack’s top hitters with a .330 batting average, 14 homers and 60 RBI over 61 games and had a 35-game on-base streak.

Edwards is the fourth Rocker to have their contract purchased by an MLB organization this year and the 43^rd player over the Rockers six-year history. Since the start of spring training, RHP Peter Solomon is now in the Cubs organization, C Luke Napleton was selected by the Twins and LHP Jacob Edwards is in the Reds farm system.

The Rockers are 21-8 and own the Atlantic League’s top over all record while holding a five-game lead over Southern Maryland in the South Division pennant race. High Point concludes a series at Charleston on Thursday night and returns home Friday to face the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Left-handed pitcher Jacob Edwards, one of the mainstays of the High Point Rockers bullpen, has had his contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. He will report to the Reds spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona immediately.

“They don’t make a better person than Jacob,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “He’s one of a kind. I haven’t met many people who work as hard on and off the field at his pitching craft. It’s nice to see that his hard work has paid off and he’s getting another opportunity.”

Edwards, 24, made the Rockers’ Opening Day roster in 2024 and tied for the team lead with seven wins. He appeared in 42 games in 2024 and struck out 63 with just 19 walks in his 69.1 innings of work.

This season, Edwards is 2-1 in 11.2 innings of work with four walks and 11 strikeouts while yielding just seven hits.

Edwards attended Southwest Guilford High School where he shattered the school single season strikeout record with 132 and set a mark for wins with 12. He also hit .494 and was named the conference Pitcher of the Year while also earning all-state and all-area honors.

At UNC Asheville, Edwards was a first team All-Big South selection, going 8-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 88.1 innings. He finished among UNC Asheville’s all-time top 10 in innings, wins and strikeouts.

Undrafted out of UNC Asheville, he was with the Minnesota Twins organization in 2022 before joining the Rockers in 2024.

Edwards becomes the second pitcher to have his contract acquired by an MLB organization this year, joining RHP Peter Solomon who went to the Chicago Cubs. Now in its sixth year, High Point has had 41 player contracts transferred to MLB clubs or foreign leagues.