Ramirez, Owings lead Rockers past Stormers

LANCASTER, Pa. – High Point’s Connor Owings hit a two-run homer in the second inning and that was all the Rockers’ pitching staff needed in taking a 2-0 win from the Lancaster Stormers in the series opener at Clipper Magazine Stadium on Friday night.

Owings’ homer followed a bloop single by Ryan Grotjohn off Lancaster starter Noah Bremer (L, 4-2).

High Point starter Neil Ramirez (W, 2-2) was spectacular, holding Lancaster to just one hit through six innings while not allowing a walk and striking out five. The lone hit was a bunt single by the Stormers’ Jack Conley in the third. After stealing second, Conley was stranded when Ramirez induced fly outs from Kyle Kasser and Shawon Dunston, Jr.

Austin Ross allowed a triple to Lancaster’s Chris Proctor in the seventh but then retired Gaige Howard on a ground ball to short to escape the threat. Garrett Schilling pitched around a single by Conley to keep the Stormers scoreless through eight.

Trace Loehr beat out a single to the hole at short with one out in the ninth off closer Jameson McGrane (S, 8). McGrane then fanned Joseph Carpenter for the second out and popped up Proctor but a miscommunication allowed the ball to fall untouched in the infield as Carpenter moved to third and Proctor took second. Gaige Howard then bounced out to Owings at third to put the finishing touch on the Rockers win.

The win moves the Rockers to 29-16 on the season.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday night at 6:45 p.m. at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

NOTES:  The game last just 2:03, the fastest nine-inning game of the season for the Rockers . . . Neither pitching staff issued a walk in the game while striking out a combined 17 hitters.

Gastonia was beating Lexington 6-3 in the seventh inning at Lexington . . . A Gastonia loss would pull the Rockers to within one game of first in the South Division . . . A Gastonia win would keep the Rockers two games behind with 18 games left in the first half.