HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers remain on the verge of clinching an Atlantic League playoff spot but will have to hold off for another day. The Rockers dropped a 15-1 decision to Gastonia on Wednesday night at Truist Point. The Rockers maintain a 4.5 game lead over Kentucky which defeated Staten Island 16-10 on Tuesday.
The Rockers are 69-59 on the year with four games remaining and the Genomes stand at 64-63 with five games to play. One win by the Rockers or one loss by the Genomes will send High Point to the postseason.
Gastonia scored four times in the first inning on five hits, a walk and a hit batter off Rockers’ starter Liam O’Sullivan (L, 4-6). The Honey Hunters scored two in the third and tallied five times in the fourth in building an 11-0 lead.
Gastonia starter Alex Sanabia (W, 7-5) allowed just three hits through his five innings or work, two of them singles by Michael Russell.
The Rockers’ lone run scored in the seventh on Russell’s third hit of the night, a walk to Ben Aklinski, a single by Logan Morrison and a fielder’s choice RBI by Quincy Latimore. Russell was the only Rocker with more than one hit.
High Point and Gastonia will have their final regular season meeting of the year on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. The game will feature the One Last Blast postgame fireworks show presented by Lumos. Fans can watch the fireworks show from the field.