Comeback falls short, Rockers drop 7-6 decision

WALDORF, Md. – The High Point Rockers nearly came back from an early 7-0 deficit but came up short, falling 7-6 to Southern Maryland at Regency Furniture Stadium on Thursday night.

The Rockers will travel back to High Point Thursday night and continue the series with the Blue Crabs at 6:35 p.m. Friday at Truist Point.

Southern Maryland took an early lead when Anthony Brocato and Juan Kelly slapped back-to-back home runs in the first inning off Rockers starter Taylor Guerrieri.

The Blue Crabs scored five times in the second to take a 7-0 lead. A walk, two singles and a double plated two runs before Brocato hit his second homer of the night, a three-run shot.

The Rockers scored four times in the fifth inning to pull within three runs at 7-4. Martin Figueroa singled and Ben Aklinski drew a walk. Connor Owings followed with a single to score Figureroa and send Aklinski to third. Nick Longhi then blasted a three-run homer, his seventh of the year.

The rains came in the sixth and the tarp was dragged over the field for what amounted to a 32 minute delay.

When play resumed, the Rockers’ hitting did too. In the top of the eighth, Brian Parreira walked and moved to second on a single by Ryan Grotjohn. A walk to Figueroa loaded the bases. After Ben Aklinski fouled out, Owings ripped a line drive single to right that scored Parreira and Grotjohn to pull the Rockers to within a run at 7-6.

Guerrieri (L, 1-2) exited the game after the second inning and the High Point bullpen dominated over the final six innings. Zach Muckenhirn went two innings allowing just one hit and striking out two. Neil Ramirez through a shutout inning in the fifth before David McKay got the Rockers to the seventh, striking out five over his 1.2 innings of work.  Ryan Meisinger worked around a pair of hits but kept the Blue Crabs scoreless through the seventh and eighth.

Owings led the Rockers with three hits and three RBI while Longhi also drove in three runs. Brocato finished with four RBI on his two home runs.

Southern Maryland’s Alex Katz (W, 1-0) earned the win with 1.2 innings of relief work. Endrys Briceno put the Rockers down in order in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.