CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In a back-and-forth contest, the Charleston Dirty Birds scored last and claimed game two of the six-game series from the High Point Rockers 7-6 on Wednesday afternoon at GoMart Park.
Charleston’s James Nelson singled off Rockers reliever Scott Rouse (L, 1-2), moved to third on a double by Joseph Rosa and scored on a single from Zach Daniels to break a 6-6 tie and even the series at 1-1.
The Rockers are now 58-37 overall and 17-15 in the second half. Charleston improved to 42-53 and 12-20. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Dirty Birds.
Max Viera staked the Rockers to a 1-0 lead with a solo homer to right-center in the second inning of Dirty Birds starter David Lebron.
Charleston knotted the game at 1-1 in the third when Demetrius Moorer reached on a two-base error by Rockers starter Gabe Klobosits who cleanly fielded a high chopper in front of the mound but his threw to first sailed into right field. After stealing third, Moorer scored on Keon Barnum’s single to right.
Klobosits left after three innings, allowing two hits, a walk and striking out four. The Dirty Birds pounced on reliever David Hess in the fourth inning, collecting four straight hits including a two-run double by Joe DeLuca to take a 3-1 lead.
The Rockers scratched a run back in the top of the fifth when Viera singled, stole second and scored on a single by Ian Yetsko to make it a 3-2 Charleston lead.
Alex Dickerson’s 14th homer of the year, with two outs in the sixth, tied the game at 3-3.
Charleston scored three times off reliever Win Scott in the sixth. After a lead-off homer by Chad Sedio, DeLuca singled and went to third on a double by Benjamin Blackwell. Nelson then doubled home both runners for a 6-3 Charleston advantage.
With two outs on the seventh and Charleston reliever Franklin Van Gurp on the mound, Rockers catcher Isaiah Mirabal reached on a throwing error by Blackwell at third and scored on Yetsko’s double to center to pull High Point within two at 6-4. Following a walk to Braxton Davidson, Drew Mendoza tripled to center, scoring both Yetsko and Davidson, and tying the game at 6-6.
Yetsko finished with a team-high three hits and two RBI. Vera added two hits and Mendoza drove in a pair of runs. Alsander Womack had three hits for Charleston while Nelson and DeLuca each finished with a pair of RBI.
Game three of the six-series is slated for a 6:35 p.m. start on Thursday at GoMart Park. High Point will send LHP Jonah Scolaro (6-4, 5.50) to the mound to face Charleston’s RHP Jamison Hill (2-11, 6.30). Rocker fans can catch all the action on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app.
NOTES: The Rockers activated Ian Yetsko from the inactive list prior to the game and placed OF Cody Wilson on the injured list . . . Braxton Davidson made his first start of the season in left field and appeared in the lead-off spot for the first time . . . Gabe Klobosits made just his fifth start as a professional pitcher to go with his 214 all-time relief appearances . . . Fin Del Bonta-Smith was supposed to start on Wednesday but was unavailable due to a family matter . . .
