Records Fall as Rockers Win 18-3

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers set numerous records on Tuesday night en route to an 18-3 win over the Charleston Dirty Birds at Truist Point.

The Rockers set franchise records by scoring 18 runs, winning by 15 runs, collecting 16 RBI and carding four sacrifice flies. Michael Russell’s five runs scored are the most-ever by a High Point Rocker in a game while the club’s 20 victories in May set a new standard for wins in a month.

The Rockers are now 26-9 on the season and have a two-game lead over Gastonia (24-11) in the Atlantic League’s South Division. The Honey Hunters fell to Long Island 8-7 on Tuesday night.

Both teams struck for runs in the first inning. The Dirty Birds used a lead-off single by Scott Burcham, a wild pitch, a ground out and a sac fly from Juan Perez to forge an early 1-0 lead. High Point countered with three runs in the bottom of the first. Singles by Michael Russell and Ben Aklinski along with a walk to Quincy Latimore loaded the bases. Michael Martinez’s ground ball to third led to an infield hit and a throwing error that cleared the bases.

In the fourth, High Point expanded its lead to 5-1 when Johnny Field doubled and scored on a sac fly by Giovanny Alfonzo, before Russell was hit by a pitch and came around on a double into the rightfield corner by Aklinski.

High Point scored three times in the fifth for an 8-2 lead including a run-scoring single from Chris Proctor, an RBI double off the bat of Martinez and a sac fly from Johnny Field. Three more runs crossed for the Rockers in the sixth, courtesy of an RBI single by Jerry Downs and sacrifice flies by Logan Morrison and Field.

The Rockers continued to hit, pouring on five more runs in the seventh. Downs contributed a two-run double before Quincy Latimore unleashed a three-run homer, his seventh of the year. Charleston sent infielder Angel Garced to the mount to pitch the eighth and Downs and Latimore concluded their night with RBI singles.

Neil Uskali (3-1) won his second consecutive start, going six innings and allowing just four hits and a walk. Charleston starter Derrick Adams (1-3) yielded eight hits and eight runs in his 4.1 innings of work.

High Point and Charleston will continue their three-game series on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.