Rockers Hit Franchise Highs in Win over Gastonia to Complete Sweep
Published on September 2, 2021 under Atlantic League (AtL)
High Point Rockers News Release
HIGH POINT, N.C. - The High Point Rockers scored a franchise-record 17 runs and finished off a sweep of Gastonia by a final count of 17-6 on Thursday night at Truist Point.
The Rockers scored four runs in the second, five in the fifth and added six in the sixth en route to the win.
Johnny Field, Jerry Downs and Stephen Cardullo each had a pair of hits for the Rockers while Jared Mitchell led High Point with four RBI. Field drove in three runs.
Bryce Hensley (6-7) got the win, working five innings and striking out three. Gastonia starter Sam Burton (3-7), a former pitcher at Winston-Salem State, took the loss, allowing seven runs in his four innings.
Gastonia tallied a single run in the top of the first off Hensley. With two outs, Jason Rogers singled and scored on a double to right by Mike Osinski for a 1-0 advantage.
High Point scored four times in the second to take a 4-1 lead. Downs led off with a single and Burton issued a walk to Jay Gonzalez. A wild pitch moved Downs to third and he scored on a single by Giovanny Alfonzo. A walk to Stuart Levy loaded the bases before Mitchell delivered the rare two-run sacrifice fly. Gastonia center fielder Boog Powell tracked down Mitchell's fly ball at the center field wall. Gonzalez scored from third and Alfonzo, with a heads-up play, tagged up from second and continued around third to score. Levy then scored on an RBI single by Field.
The Honey Hunters scored twice in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 4-3. Reece Hampton drove in a run with a ground rule double and Johan Girand blooped a single to plate Hampton.
Gastonia took the lead at 6-4 by scoring three times in the top of the fifth. Mike Osinski drove in a run with a single, Ryan Cordell sent a run home on a fielder's choice and the Rockers committed a fielding error to allow the third run to score.
The Rockers bounced back in the fifth inning, scoring five times to take a 9-6 lead. The first five batters of the inning all scored with Cardullo collecting a two-run single and Levy adding a sac fly.
High Point blew the game open in the sixth, scoring six times to go ahead 15-6. Downs blasted his 16th home run, a two-run shot with Quincy Latimore aboard, to make it 11-6. The Rockers would go on to score four more runs in the frame with Levy and Mitchell picking up RBIs and Field added a two-run single.
The Rockers closed the scoring with a pair of runs in the seventh on a sac fly by Mitchell and another run scored on a passed ball.
The Rockers will head back on the road for a quick three-game series at West Virginia starting Friday night at 7:05 p.m. High Point will be back at Truist Point on Tuesday, September 7 as they begin a six-game homestand.
Atlantic League Stories from September 2, 2021
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- Rockers Hit Franchise Highs in Win over Gastonia to Complete Sweep - High Point Rockers
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- Former Rocker Alberto Baldonado Called up to Nationals - High Point Rockers
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