Aklinski Slam Walks-Off Gastonia

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Ben Aklinski hit a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the High Point Rockers to a 7-6 win over Gastonia on Sunday evening at Truist Point.

The High Point rally began when Cesar Trejo doubled to left-center with one out in the ninth and the Rockers trailing 6-2. Tyler Ladendorf grounded out to second before pinch-hitter Adam Taylor delivered an infield single to score Trejo and make it a 6-3 game.  Giovanny Alfonzo then drew a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch from Gastonia reliever Henry Martinez (L, 2-1) before Michael Russell added an infield single to load the bases.

Aklinski hit a 1-0 pitch deep over the wall in left off Martinez to score the three baserunners ahead of him and deliver a 7-6 win to the Rockers. It was Aklinski’s third walk-off hit of the season, his second walk-off homer, and the first walk-off grand slam in Rockers history.

“I’ve been struggling lately in sacrifice fly situations,” said Aklinski following his blast.  “I just told myself to hit the ball 300 feet in the air. It wound up going farther than that.”

Four Gastonia pitchers had held the Rockers to just five hits all game before the ninth inning. Honey Hunter starter John Anderson was perfect through four innings until allowing Wiel’s lead-off double in the fifth.

“We had zero momentum all day,” until the ninth inning, said Aklinski.

The Honey Hunters had built a 4-0 lead on a pair of home runs by Emmanuel Tapia, a three-run shot in the second off starter Sam Burton and a solo homer in the fourth. The Rockers made it a 4-1 game in the fifth when Zander Wiel doubled and scored on an infield out by Ladendorf. High Point cut the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth on a Giovanny Alfonzo double and an RBI double by Jerry Downs.

Gastonia went up 5-2 in the seventh on Luis Castro’s run-scoring double and 6-2 in the eighth on a double by Alex Holderbach and a bases-loaded walk issued to Castro.

The walk-off win provided reliever Ryan Dull (W, 3-0) with the victory after he pitched a scoreless top of the ninth.

Newly-signed Sam Burton made his first starter and went five innings while allowing four runs on four hits and six walks. Two other new members of the Rockers, Gabriel Castellanos and Cole Aker, each threw an inning of relief as did lefty Bryce Hensley.

“Seeing (Aklinski’s) smile coming around the bases said it all,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “He’s been struggling lately. But we know we just needed to keep ourselves in the game and when you have the top of the order coming to bat, you’ll have a chance.”

The Rockers are now 43-40 overall and 4-13 in the second half while Gastonia moves to 58-24 and 14-3.

The Rockers will enjoy a day off on Monday and then head to Lexington, Ky. to face the Wild Health Genomes in a three-game series starting Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m.