Rockers blank Blue Crabs, 3-0

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Quincy Latimore hit a two-run homer and five High Point pitchers held Southern Maryland to just three hits in a 3-0 Rockers win on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point.

Neil Ramirez (W, (4-3) kept the Blue Crabs hitless into the fifth when Michael Baca blooped a soft single to left to record the first hit of the day. Ramirez pitched through the fifth and left with six strikeouts, one walk and just one hit allowed. Garrett Schilling, Zach Vennaro, Will Carter and Dakota Chalmers each threw a shutout inning in relief with Chalmers earning his fourth save of the season.

The Rockers didn’t collect their first hit off Southern Maryland starter Garrett Martin (L, 5-5) until Ben Aklinski led off the fifth inning with a single. Latimore then lined a shot over the left field wall to stake the Rockers to a 2-0 lead.

High Point added an insurance run in the seventh when shortstop Aidan Brewer, a recent signee for the Rockers who played at UNCG this past spring, doubled to center and moved to third when centerfielder Josh Broughton didn’t handle the carom off the wall. Gilberto Jimenez then lined a soft single to left to give the Rockers a 3-0 advantage.

Latimore was the only Rocker with multiple hits, going two-for-three with the homer and two RBI.

The win puts the Rockers two games in front of Gastonia in the Atlantic League’s South Division second half pennant race. High Point is 10-4 in the second half and 46-31 on the season while Gastonia, which lost 14-7 on Sunday, is 8-6 in the second half after being swept at Charleston over the weekend.

The Rockers will enjoy a day off on Monday and then begin a critical three-game homestand with Gastonia on Tuesday night at 6:35 at Truist Point.