LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ben Aklinski blasted a pair of home runs and drove in a club record eight runs as the High Point Rockers blasted the Lexington Legends 19-7 on Saturday night at Legends Field. With the win, the Rockers move to 3-0 on the season for the first time in team history.
Aklinski hit a three-run homer in the fifth and a grand slam in the ninth as part of a five-homer night by High Point. In addition to 17 hits, the Rockers drew a team record 17 walks from Lexington pitchers.
The game marked the third-most runs ever scored by a Rockers team.
Aklinski finished with four hits as did Connor Owings. Martin Figueroa tied the club record with four walks and added his first homer as a Rocker.
The Rockers started the scoring with a pair of runs in the second. Ben Aklinski singled home a run and Connor Owings made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.
Jake Washer provided an RBI single in the third before the roof fell in on the Legends in the fourth. Evan Edwards singled home one run before Nick Longhi unloaded a three-run homer, his second of the year, to give the Rockers an 8-0 lead.
Lexington got on the board in the fourth with a pair of runs off Rockers’ starter Ryan Weiss. Keenan O’Brien hit a two-run single to center with the bases loaded to score two and cut the Rockers’ lead to 8-2.
The Rockers tacked on three more runs in the fifth when D.J. Burt led off with a single and Lexington reliever Parker Bugg walked Figueroa. Aklinski then unloaded a three-run homer for an 11-2 homer. And, for the second time this year, Owings made it back-to-back homers with a solo shot for a 12-2 advantage.
Drew Jemison hit a lead-off homer off Weiss I the bottom of the fifth to make it a 12-3 contest before Matt Bottcher added a solo shot of his own to make it 12-4. Following a Brady Whalen double, Rockers manager Jamie Keefe turned to lefty Jacob Edwards out of the bullpen who was able to escape the frame without any further damage.
The Rockers extended their lead to 13-4 with a run in the seventh. Owings walked, moved to third on a double by Wiel and scored on a swinging bunt base hit by Longhi. Owings added an RBI single in the eighth to put High Point up 14-4.
Zach Muckenhirn allowed a pair of hits and a walk in the eighth inning to load the bases before walking in a run. An infield grounder resulted in the Rockers committing a pair of e5rrors on the play, allowing two runs as Lexington pulled to within 14-7.
With the Rockers up 15-7 in the ninth, Aklinski added his sixth career grand slam to make it a 19-7 game. Aklinski is High Point’s all-time leader with six grand slams.
Weiss went 4.1 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs while walking one and fanning seven. Edwards pitched 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit while striking out two. Zach Muckenhirn came on in the eighth and Ryan Meisinger mopped up in the ninth.
Tomorrow’s series finale is slated for a 2 p.m. start at Legends Field. The Rockers open their home season on Tuesday night at 6:35 pm against the Charleston Dirty Birds.
NOTES: Figueroa drew four walks on the night, tying the club record . . . Ryan Meisinger has now pitched two complete innings for the Rockers and retired six hitters, all by strikeout.
