Deja Vu: Rockers Fall 8-3 For Second Straight Game

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point dropped an 8-3 decision to Gastonia on Sunday as the Honey Hunters completed a three-game sweep of the Rockers.

High Point maintains a one-game lead over Gastonia for first place in the Atlantic League’s South Division. The Rockers are 28-12 on the year while Gastonia stands at 27-13.

Jay Gonzalez led the Rockers with three hits and Michael Martinez blasted his first home run of the season.

Gastonia took a 3-0 lead in the second with Luis Roman driving in two runs with a double and Zack Jarrett also collecting an RBI single.

High Point’s Martinez hit his first home run of the season, pulling a Reilly Hovis (2-2) pitch to right to cut the deficit to 3-1. After Johnny Field walked and stole second, Gonzalez hit a broken-bat single to right to score Field and make it a 3-2 game.

Gastonia jumped ahead 5-2 with a two-run double from Reece Hampton in the fourth. Roman added a solo homer in the sixth to push the Honey Hunters ahead 6-2 before a High Point error, a stolen base and an infield single led to Zach Jarrett scoring Gastonia’s seventh run.

The Rocker got a run back in the sixth on a Ben Aklinski walk, a single by Jerry Downs and an RBI single from Logan Morrison. The Honey Hunters extended their lead to 8-3 with a run in the seventh when Joseph Rosa walked, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.

High Point starter Neil Uskali (3-2) took the loss after working six innings and allowing eight hits and seven runs while striking out five.

The Rockers will have Monday off and will start a six-game road trip next week. The trip starts with a three-game series against the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes on Tuesday.