HIGH POINT, N.C. – Ben Aklinski and Alex Dickerson each hit home runs and combined to drive in five runs as the High Point Rockers opened a three-game series with a 6-3 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds Tuesday night at Truist Point.

With a loss by the York Revolution on Tuesday night, the Rockers continue to hold the Atlantic League’s top overall record at 48-28 while York fell to 47-29. High Point is 7-6 in the second half and are in second place behind South Division leader Lexington.

Aklinski wiped out a 2-0 deficit with a three-run homer in the sixth, his 19^th of the year. Dickerson blasted his eighth homer of the year, a two-run shot in the eighth, to put the Rockers up 5-2.

The Dirty Birds earned the first run of the game in the third inning with a sacrifice fly from James Nelson, allowing Benjamin Blackwell to score off Rockers’ starting pitcher Ben Wereski to give the Dirty Birds a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, the Dirty Birds’ Jonathan Soto laid down a bunt single that straddled the first base line for a base hit, allowing Alsander Womack to score from third.

Aklinski’s homer in the sixth came off Charleston starter Jamison Hill (L, 2-8) who allowed five hits and three runs over six innings while striking out seven.

Dickerson’s homer in the eighth preceded a walk to Aklinski who then stole second and scored on an RBI single from Jack Conley and gave the Rockers a 6-2 lead.

Gabe Klobosits (W, 1-0) went two innings and did not allow a hit while striking out three to earn the victory. David Hess pitched the fourth and fifth innings for the Rockers, striking out two while allowing a pair of hits and one run.

The Dirty Birds were able to score an unearned run in the top of the ninth after a double by Zach Daniels and a pair of Rockers errors.

Jameson McGrane was able to retire the final batter of the game to earn his seventh save of the season.

The Rockers will take on the Dirty Birds again on Wednesday for the second game of a three-game series at 6:35 pm at Truist Point.

NOTES: RJP David Hess made his second appearance with Rockers tonight, his first at Truist Point. He tossed two innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out a pair. . . The Rocker reacquired INF Carlos Amezquita and he was activated in time for Tuesday’s game . . . Nick Longhi placed on the injured list on Tuesday while Jack Conley was activated from the inactive list . . . On Monday, RHP reliever Stevie Branche informed the Rockers that he will be retiring . . . Branche was 2-2 in 29 appearances with a 5.65 ERA, three saves, and 45 strikeouts in 28.2 innings . . . Aklinski’s homer traveled 412 feet while Dickerson’s was 387 feet.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Mike Devine won his first game in professional baseball since 2022, leading the High Point Rockers to a 9-3 over the Lancaster Stormers on Saturday night at Penn Medicine Park. Devine (W, 1-0) went six innings, allowing just five hits and a pair of walks while striking out two.

For Devine, 35, it marked his first victory on the mound since pitching for Veracruz in the Mexican League in 2022. The former VMI pitcher had last pitched in the Atlantic League with Southern Maryland in 2021. A freight broker in Tampa by day, Devine worked his way back to professional baseball earlier this month and was making his second start as a Rocker on Saturday.

The Rockers improved to 6-5 in the second half and continue to hold the Atlantic League’s top overall record at 47-27. The Rockers are a game behind Lexington in the South Division second half standings.

The Rockers never trailed after loading the bases with nobody out in the top of the first. Lancaster starter Noah Bremer (L, 4-2) then struck out Alex Dickerson and Ben Aklinski before walking Braxton Davidson to force in a run. D.J. Burt then singled to center to score Max Viera but the Stormers were able to throw Drew Mendoza out at the plate to limit the Rockers to a 2-0 lead.

Devine kept the Stormers hitless until Nick Ward hit a solo homer in the third to cut High Point’s lead to 2-1.

After Isaiah Mirabal singled to start the fifth inning, Aidan Brewer hit a two-run homer to left-center to put the Rockers up 4-1. Luis Gonzalez followed with a double into the right field corner and then scored on consecutive wild pitches by Bremer. Viera then drew a walk before Mendoza delivered a 404-foot homer to right to put High Point ahead 7-1.

Lancaster answered with two runs on three hits off Devine in the bottom of the fifth. Ward delivered a two-run double after Danny Amaral and Scott Kelly had singled.

Stevie Branche came out of the bullpen in the seventh followed by Zach Vennaro in the eighth as each kept the Stormers without another run.

The Rockers added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth. Gonzalez led off the inning with a solo homer, his 15^th of the year, to put High Point ahead 8-3. After Mendoza tripled, Dickerson doubled to right for a 9-3 Rockers advantage.

Jameson McGrane pitched the ninth and was aided by a pair of acrobatic leaping catches in the outfield by Gonzalez and Viera to keep Lancaster off the scoreboard.

With the series knotted at 1-1, the rubber match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Penn Medicine Park. Rockers fans can catch the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app. High Point returns home to start a six-game home stand beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 against the Charleston Dirty Birds.

NOTES: The Rockers placed C Nolan Watson on the 7-day injured list after he suffered a leg injury while rounding first base on a base hit on Friday . . . High Point signed C Chris Brady who had been with the club during spring training.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point Rockers outfielder Jordan Luplow has had his contract acquired by the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican Baseball League.

Luplow joined the Rockers on May 11 but was inactive from May 23 until June 24. After rejoining the club, Luplow enjoyed his greatest moment as a Rocker on June 27, capping a six-run ninth inning rally with a walk-off three run homer to defeat Lancaster 7-4 at Truist Point. The win cut High Point’s magic number to one before winning the Atlantic League’s South Division first half championship.

Despite playing in just 14 games for High Point, Luplow, 31, hit .255 with four homers and 13 RBI while drawing eight walks and scoring nine runs. He spent part of seven seasons in Major League baseball, primarily with Pittsburgh and Cleveland, before joining the Rockers.

Luplow will report to Dos Laredos in the coming days. Dos Laredos (translation: two Laredos) is a binational team that splits its home games between Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and Laredo, Texas. The Tecoletes (Owls) are the only Mexican League team to play outside of Mexico.

Luplow is the seventh Rocker to have their contract purchased this season and the 46^th in club history.

The Rockers play game two of their home series with Gastonia tonight at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Left-hander Kent Emanual, a starting pitcher for the High Point Rockers, has had his contract purchased by los Diablos Rojos (Mexico City) of the Mexican Baseball League. Los Diablos Rojos are currently in first place in the South Conference of the Mexican Baseball League.

Emanuel, a former ACC Pitcher of the Year while at North Carolina, went 6-1 with a 3.41 ERA for the Rockers and was instrumental in High Point winning the Atlantic League’s South Division first half championship.

Emanual made 10 starts for the Rockers and threw 58 innings while striking out 48 and allowing just 14 walks. He had two wins each against Lexington and Charleston along with victories over Hagerstown and Long Island.

Emanuel becomes the fifth Rocker to have their contract purchased this season and the 44^th in team history.

The Rockers are 38-18 and are preparing to host the Gastonia Ghost Peppers in a three-game series at Truist Point beginning on Tuesday, July 1. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. Thursday’s July 3 game will feature the Rockers’ biggest postgame fireworks show of the year.

Tickets for all Rockers games are on sale at HighPointRockers.com.