Rockers clinch series with 7-3 win over Gastonia

HIGH POINT, N.C. (August 22, 2024) – Connor Owings and Evan Edwards each belted two run homers to help the High Point Rockers to a 7-3 win over the Gastonia Baseball Club n Thursday night at Truist Point.

Owings finished the night with three hits, including a double, and three RBI, as the Rockers ended the series by taking two of three from the Baseball Club.

Jeremy Rhoades (W, 4-3) fanned six over his 5.1 innings of work and yielded just five hits and three runs in earning the win. Gastonia’s Gunnar Kines allowed seven runs on five hits in his four innings of work.

Gastonia took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run homer from Jacob Robson. The Rockers responded in the bottom of the second when Quincy Nieporte singled and scored on Edwards’ homer to tie the game. The Rockers added three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-2 lead. D.J. Burt doubled and scored on a single by Ryan Grotjohn before Owings blasted a two-run homer.

Grotjohn doubled and scored on an Owings single in the fifth to push the Rockers’ lead to 6-2. Gastonia’s final run came in the top of the sixth when Marc Flores singled and moved to third on a pair of walks. Eric De La Rosa then singled home Flores.

High Point’s final run came in the bottom of the eighth as Burt singled, stole second, then scored from second on a wild pitch.

The Rockers (22-18) remain in third place in the Atlantic League’s South Division, one game behind Gastonia (23-17) and 4.5 games behind Charleston (27-14).

The Rockers now embark on their longest road trip of the season, playing the next nine games on the road. High Point returns to Truist Point to open a six-game homestand against the Lexington Legends on Tuesday, September 3.