Rockers Outhit Gastonia but drop 9-5 Decision

GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers outhit Gastonia 14-13 but the Honey Hunters prevailed 9-5 on Sunday afternoon at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia.

The loss leaves the Rockers (28-18) four games behind the South Division-leading Honey Hunters (32-14).

Tyler Ladendorf led off the game with a homer, his fourth of the season, to stake the Rockers to an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, Gastonia scored four runs on five hits, three of them infield hits. Emmanuel Tapia plated one runner on a ground-rule double, Luis Castro knocked in a run with a single to short and Jaylen Smith picked up an RBI on an infield hit.

The score remained 4-1 until the bottom of the third when Gastonia’s Zach Jarrett was hit by a pitch and scored on a double by Smith. Jack Reinheimer singled to center to plate Smith for a 6-1 Gastonia lead.

The Rockers tallied a pair of runs in the fourth when Joe Johnson singled and Zander Wiel homered to cut the Gastonia lead to 6-3.  The Honey Hunters extended their lead to 8-3 in the fifth as Smith and Stuart Levy each singled and advanced a base on a wild pitch before scoring on a single by Herlis Rodriguez. Tapia hit a solo homer in the sixth to give Gastonia a 9-3 advantage.

High Point got a run back in the seventh when Ben Aklinski singled, stole second, and scored on a double by Logan Morrison. In the eighth, Michael Martinez and Jay Gonzalez managed back-to-back singles before Ladendorf added a single to score Martinez and make it a 9-5 game.

Martinez and Gonzalez finished with three hits apiece for the Rockers.

High Point starter Colt Webb (L 1-2) went 2.2 innings and allowed nine hits and six runs. Reilly Hovis (W 3-2) hurled five innings and allowed three runs for Gastonia.

High Point will have an off-day on Monday before beginning a three-game home series with Long Island on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m at Truist Point.