Rockers 9th Inning Heroics Produce Win

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to score a 5-4 walk-off win over the York Revolution on Saturday night at Truist Point. The win was the fourth straight for the Rockers as they continue to battle for the Atlantic League’s Wild Card playoff berth.

Trailing 4-3 entering their final at-bat, the Rockers’ Zander Wiel lined a single to right to start the inning before Michael Martinez blooped a single into shallow center field. Jay Gonzalez’s sacrifice bunt was fielded by York pitcher Jim Fuller (L, 4-6) but his throw to third was wide of the bag, allowing Wiel to score the tying run and putting Martinez at third and Gonzalez at second. Fuller struck out Giovanny Alfonzo for the first out of the inning before Mike Gulino hit a high chopper towards third. York third baseman Josue Herrera fielded the ball cleanly but was unable to get off a throw to first as Martinez streaked home with the winning run in the 5-4 victory.

The ninth inning heroics gave High Point closer Ryan Dull (W, 6-1) the win after he came on and set the Revolution down in order in the top of the ninth.

York had built an early 4-0 lead that the Rockers worked for eight innings to overcome. Yefri Perez singled and stole second in the first inning and scored on an RBI single by Nellie Rodriguez. In the second, the Revs scored three runs off High Point starter Liam O’Sullivan. Jhon Nunez singled and Troy Stokes, Jr. grounded to third and Michael Russell’s throw to first was high, putting runners on first and second. Josue Herrera delivered an RBI single and Perez plated two more with a double to put York on top 4-0.

Wiel led off the bottom of the second with a solo homer, his 29th of the season to cut the deficit to 4-1. The Rockers got two more runs back in the fifth when Alfonzo singled and scored on a double by Gulino. Gulino took third on a single by Russell then scored on an infield out by Ben Aklinski to close the gap to 4-3.

The Rockers improved to 64-55 on the year and 25-28 in the second half of the Atlantic League season. High Point’s win combined with Kentucky’s loss to Gastonia gives the Rockers a 2.5-game lead in the ALPB’s Wild Card race.

High Point and York will conclude the series on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. The Rockers will send Craig Stem to the mound to face York’s Courtney Mack.