WALDORF, Md. – Southern Maryland’s Brett Barrera hit a walk-off grand slam to lead the Blue Crabs to a 12-9 win over the High Point Rockers in 10 innings on Thursday night.
The slam capped a back-and-forth contest that featured five lead changes and some late-game heroics from the Rockers.
Trailing 7-5 after seven innings, Luis Gonzalez hit his 20th homer of the season in the top of the eighth to pull the Rockers within one. In the top of the ninth, facing SMD closer Endrys Briceno, Evan Edwards belted a homer to left to tie the game at 7-7. It marked the first earned run allowed by Briceno in 13 outings.
The Rockers scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10th to take a 9-7 lead as Gonzalez doubled home the ghost runner, D.J. Burt, before Drew Mendoza hit a ground-rule double to right to give High Point a two-run lead.
But Southern Maryland rallied for five runs in the bottom of the 10th against Rockers closer Jameson McGrane (L, 1-1). Jackson Loftin doubled home the ghost runner and the Crabs drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and set the table for Barrera’s game-winner.
Gonzalez did more than his part, driving in a run in each of his final three at-bats of the game. He singled home a run in the sixth, hit a solo homer in the eighth and then doubled home another run in the 10th. Gonzalez finished the night three-for-five with three runs scored and three RBI.
Gonzalez had three hits to extend his team-leading hitting streak to 12 games. He has reached base in 26 straight games.
The Rockers remain tied for the best record in the Atlantic League along with York at 71-49. High Point slipped back to third in the second half South Division race but the Rockers have already clinched a playoff spot by virtue of their first half championship.
Game four of the series takes place at 6:35 p.m. Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Rockers will send LHP Ben Wereski (3-4, 4.09) to the mound to face a yet-to-be-named Southern Maryland starter. Rockers fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.
NOTES: The Rockers activated C Isaiah Mirabal from the inactive list prior to the game and placed INF Max Viera on the inactive list. Viera, whose mother is from England, will be playing for Great Britain in the European Baseball Championship which is scheduled from September 20-27 in Rotterdam, Milan and Antwerp. Great Britain is grouped with France, Israel and The Netherlands and will open play Sept. 21 against Israel . . . Yuhi Sako, who pitched for the Rockers in 2024 and re-joined the team on August 31, made his debut on Thursday and allowed three hits and three runs in his one inning of work . . . Relievers Scott Rouse, Zach Vennaro and Kyle Halbohn each threw one shutout inning.
