Rockers erase Legends, 10-4

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The High Point Rockers took advantage of eight walks and three Lexington Legends errors to down the Legends 10-4 Saturday night in Lexington.

The game was delayed nearly an hour due to rain.

Connor Owings led the Rockers with three hits while Clayton Mehlbauer and Evan Edwards each hit home runs to support the outstanding pitching of Neil Ramirez. Ramirez allowed just two hits over his five innings of work while walking one and striking out nine. David McKay (W, 2-0) earned the win with 1.1 innings of no-hit relief. Rockers’ pitchers struck out 16 in the game.

The Rockers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Lexington starter Alex MacKinnon walked D.J. Burt and Evan Edwards to put runners on first and second. A throw to first following Ben Aklinski’s routine ground ball to short pulled Lexington first baseman Drew Jemison off the bag, allowing Burt to score from second.

The lead grew to 2-0 when Mehlbauer hit a solo homer leading off the fourth inning.

Ramirez did not allow a hit until the fifth inning when Keenan O’Brien singled. Gabe Howell followed with a single before Aldenis Sanchez lifted a high pop fly in the infield that fell untouched. The Rockers were able to retire Howell at second but O’Brien scored to cut High Point’s lead to 2-1.

Braeden Ogle came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth and after allowing a single to Osmy Gregorio, walked the bases loaded then walked a third consecutive batter to bring home the tying run. Ogle then struck out O’Brien and Howell before walking Sanchez as the Legends took a 3-2 lead.

The Rockers battled back in the top of the seventh with Edwards and Aklinski collecting one-out singles. A third consecutive single by Connor Owings scored Edwards and Aklinski scored on a fourth straight single by Colin Moran. Zander Wiel’s sac fly brought home Owings to put High Point up 5-3.

Lexington tallied a run in the bottom of the seventh as Payton Robertson reached on an error, stole second and scored on a ground out by Matt Bottcher.

High Point received a pair of insurance runs in the eighth when Edwards unloaded a two-run homer with Burt aboard to put the Rockers up 7-4. High Point added three more runs in the ninth, taking advantage of a pair of errors and a wild pitch to increase their lead to 10-4.

Ryan Meisinger struck out the side in the eighth inning while Jameson McGrane fanned two of the three hitters he faced in the ninth.

The Rockers trail Gastonia by two games in the race for the first half South Division title. Gastonia (22-12) lost a 5-0 decision at Staten Island on Saturday.

The fourth and final game of the series is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday at Legends Field.