CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a back-and-forth contest, it was the Charleston Dirty Birds that got in the final shot, scoring five runs in the eighth inning to take a 12-9 win over the High Point Rockers in the first game of a six-game series at GoMart Park on Tuesday night.
The Rockers held an 8-7 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning but surrendered five runs on three hits and two errors as the Dirty Birds took a 12-8 lead. The Rockers rallied for a run in the ninth that led to the 12-9 final.
High Point’s Ryan McCarthy had three hits including two home runs, scored four runs and drove home five to lead the Rockers offense. Center fielder Bryson Parks set a club record by getting hit by a pitch three times.
The Rockers are now 18-25 on the season while Charleston snapped a nine-game losing streak to improve to 13-30.
High Point took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when McCarthy drew a two-out walk and Luke Napleton delivered a two-run homer. Charleston tied the game in its half of the first, drawing a pair of walks from High Point starter Matt Solter before Carlos De La Cruz delivered a two-run single to left.
The Dirty Birds then put up three more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-2 advantage. After a one-out double by Wendell Rijo, Solter walked Shawon Dunston, Jr. then allowed an RBI single to Jaylen Smith. Narciso Crook followed with a two-run single.
McCarthy’s two-run homer in the fourth drove in D.J. Burt ahead of him and pulled the Rockers within one at 5-4.
The Dirty Birds added a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Demetrius Moorer to extend the lead to 6-4.
McCarthy’s two-out solo shot to left cut Charleston’s lead to 6-5. Charleston’s Narciso Crook blooped a single to right in the sixth to score Demetrius Moorer to again make it a two-run game at 7-5.
In the top of the eighth, A walk to pinch-hitter Braxton Davidson and a single by Burt put two men on before McCarthy plated both runners with a double. Nick Longhi then beat out an infield single as McCarthy scored to give the Rockers an 8-7 lead.
Reliever Alec Barger allowed a walk and three hits and Charleston’s offense was aided by a pair of Rocker errors as the Dirty Birds plated five runs in the bottom of the eighth, just two of the runs earned.
Longhi finished the night with three hits as the Rockers out-hit Charleston 12-11.
Game two of the series is slated for 6:35 p.m. Wednesday night at GoMart Park. High Point will send righty David Hess (2-3, 4.96) to the mound to face Charleston righty Jordan Jackson (4-3, 4.72). Rocker fans can follow the action on DugoutTV.org or listen to the audio broadcast on the free MixLR app on their mobile device.
NOTES: The Rockers signed 1B/3B Ivan Melendez on Tuesday. A former second round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Melendez was the consensus national collegiate player of the year in 2022 . . . The Rockers also added recent Georgia Tech reliever RHP Caden Spivey . . . SS Aidan Brewer and OF Chase Nixon were each placed on the seven day injured list.
