Gastonia Throws Five Hitter to Blank Rockers
June 24, 2025 - Atlantic League (AtL)
High Point Rockers News Release
GASTONIA, N.C. - The High Point Rockers were held to just five hits by the Gastonia Ghost Peppers as the Rockers dropped a 4-0 decision on Tuesday night at CaroMont Health Park in the opening game of a three-game series.
The Rockers (35-17) maintain a six-game lead over second place Southern Maryland in the Atlantic League's South Division. Southern Maryland (29-23) defeated Hagerstown 11-2 on Tuesday night.
The Rockers have a magic number of five to clinch the first half title. Any combination of five Rockers wins and/or Blue Crab losses would give High Point a ticket to the postseason playoffs.
The win improved the Ghost Peppers to 21-31 on the season.
Rockers starter Matt Solter (L, 7-2) and Gastonia starter Ljay Newsome battled through five innings with neither team able to score. Solter went 5.2 innings and struck out seven while allowing five hits and four walks. Newsome allowed just two hits over his five innings of work. Gastonia reliever Ryan Hennen (W, 2-1) earned the win by pitching a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
Scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning, Gastonia's Brian O'Grady hit a solo homer to right off Solter to give the Ghost Peppers a 1-0 lead. The lead increased to 2-0 when Jack Reinheimer drew a walk and scored on a double off the wall in left by Eric De La Rosa. Gastonia added two more runs in the eighth off Stevie Branche as Jake Meyer punched a two-run single that scored Reinheimer and Kevin Watson, Jr.
The Rockers put runners in scoring position in each of the last three innings but were unable to capitalize.
Game two of the series will be played at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at CaroMont Health Park. The game will be available on Flobaseball.tv with an audio broadcast on the Mixlr app.
NOTES: The Rockers signed OF Michael Logan prior to the game. Logan played collegiately at North Carolina A&T and Lenoir-Rhyne, helping the Bears to the Division II World Series this spring. .. The Rockers were shutout for the first time since suffering a 3-0 loss at Charleston on September 1, 2024.
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