Hearbreak: Rockers win but eliminated

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (September 13, 2024) – The High Point Rockers won their fourth consecutive game from the Long Island Ducks on Friday night, scoring a 5-1 victory at Fairfield Properties Ballpark. But 700 miles to the south in Gastonia, the Charleston Dirty Birds defeated Gastonia 2-0 to secure the Atlantic League’s second half South Division pennant and end the Rockers hopes for a 2024 playoff berth.

Charleston (38-23) won the second half pennant over High Point (36-25) and Gastonia (35-26). While the Rockers could still tie Charleston in terms of second half record, High Point would lose the tiebreaker by virtue of Charleston’s 8-5 head-to-head advantage in the second half of the season.

On the field at Long Island, Ryan Grotjohn started the Rockers’ scoring with a one out single as Ben Aklinski followed with his 29th home run of the season to give the Rockers a 2-0 lead.

Michael Martinez hit a two-out ground rule double in the second then scored on D.J. Burt’s opposite field single with a head-first slide at the plate to put the Rockers up 3-0.

Evan Edwards’ third homer of the series and his 20th of the season was a solo shot in the third that increased High Point’s lead to 4-0.

High Point starter Derrick Adams (W, 3-3) proved himself to be quite the escape artist in the fourth. With two outs, he issued three consecutive walks to load the bases then struck out Taylor Kohlwey to escape any damage.

The Rockers ran the score to 5-0 in the top of the sixth when Edwards walked, moved to third on a single by Connor Owings then scored when Quincy Nieporte bounced into a 5-4-3 double play.

Adams went five innings and despite giving up a season-high six walks, he did not allow a hit and left the game with a 5-0 lead.

Long Island’s Leobaldo Cabrera singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth off High Point reliever Jacob Edwards to break up the no-hitter but Edwards kept the shutout alive by throwing a scoreless inning.

Kyle Halbohn kept the Ducks scoreless in the seventh inning but Long Island broke up the shutout with a run off Zach Vennaro in the bottom of the eighth. Cabrera singled, stole second and third and scored on a grounder back to Vennaro who recorded the out at first.

Garrett Schilling allowed an RBI double by Kole Kaler in the ninth but was able to wrap up the game for the Rockers.

Owings finished with two hits on the night. Long Island’s Sal Romano (L, 2-1) allowed all five runs along with eight hits during his six innings of work.

On Saturday, the Rockers will send righty Matt Solter (3-2, 6.03 ERA) to the mound to face Long Island’s David Griffin (2-0, 3.55).