Dirty Birds take game 2

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Charleston Dirty Birds broke up a close game with a six-run seventh inning and posted an 11-5 win over the High Point Rockers on Saturday night at GoMart Park.

The loss dropped the Rockers to 1.5 games back of Charleston in the Atlantic League’s South Division. The Rockers are 15-10 while Charleston improved to 16-8. Gastonia is 14-10 and was leading Lexington 14-7 on Saturday night before the game went into a rain delay.

High Point took a 3-0 lead in the second inning against Charleston starter Gabriel Rodriguez (W, 2-3). Michael Martinez drew a lead-off walk and Jake Washer doubled to left, moving Martinez to third. D.J. Burt then homered, his fifth of the season, to give the Rockers an early lead.

Charleston knotted the game in the bottom of the third as Juan Santana doubled off High Point starter Neil Ramirez (L, 5-4). Ramirez allowed a sac fly by Delino Deshields before Joseph Rosa followed with a solo homer to make it a 3-2 game. After a Tillman Pugh double, Jared Carr delivered an RBI single that tied the game.

The Dirty Birds took a 5-3 lead in the fourth that started with a walk to Luis Curbelo and a single from Rusber Estrada. Juan Santana’s bunt was mishandled by Connor Owings with Curbelo scoring. Jacob Edwards came in from the bullpen and committed an error to allow Estrada to score.

The Rockers loaded the bases in the sixth and Ben Aklinski was hit by a pitch to bring in a run and cut the deficit to one at 5-4.

But Charleston sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh and scored six runs to take a11-4 lead.

The Rockers added a run in the ninth on a single by Jake Washer who moved to second on a groundout by Aidan Brewer and scored on a single by Martin Figueroa.

Washer and Figueroa each had a pair of hits for the Rockers while Aklinski drew three walks.

Game three of the series is slated for a 4:05 p.m. start on Sunday at Go Mart Park.