Rockers comeback falls short

by Alexis Taylor

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers fell short in a high-scoring affair against the Gastonia Baseball Club, dropping a 9-8 decision on Thursday night at Truist Point in front of 2,153 fans.

Gastonia wasted no time getting the bats hot against Rockers’ starter Matt Solter (L, 1-2), taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kevin Watson Jr. delivered a two-run triple, driving in the game’s first runs.

In the top of the third, Gastonia broke the game open with a six-run inning. With Hidekel Gonzalez on first after a broken-bat single, Gastonia pushed two more runs across with a timely RBI hit. Jake Gatewood followed with his second single of the night, setting the stage for Jacob Robson, who delivered a bases-loaded single to center, driving in three runs. Steven Flores capped the outburst with an RBI double to center, putting Gastonia up 8-0.

The Rockers’ offense came alive in the bottom of the third. After a DJ Burt walk and a single by Martin Figueroa, Ryan Grotjohn laced a double to right, sending Burt home for High Point’s first run. Quincy Nieporte followed with a two-run triple, cutting the deficit to 8-3. Connor Owings hit a sac fly to score Nieporte, tightening the score to 8-4.

Michael Martinez launched his first home run of the season for High Point, a 354-foot shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth. Burt singled, Figueroa walked, and Gastonia’s starter, Jake Miednick, loaded the bases with another walk. However, Nieporte couldn’t capitalize, leaving the Rockers empty-handed.

After Julian Smith replaced Miednick on the mound in the top of the fifth, Ben Aklinski hit his 20th home run of the season, the second of the night for the Rockers. Martinez followed with a double down the left field line, and Burt’s single brought him home, cutting Gastonia’s lead to 8-7.

The Baseball Club added an insurance run in the seventh when Gatewood doubled home Watson Jr., making it 9-7. Cory Thompson (W, 4-0) kept the Rockers hitless during his two innings of relief in the sixth and seventh.

High Point’s DJ Johnson took the mound in the eighth and held Gastonia scoreless, thanks to a diving catch by Grotjohn and a crucial strikeout of Watson Jr. The Rockers kept the pressure on in the bottom of the eighth, with Evan Edwards scoring on Grotjohn’s out, making it a one-run game at 9-8.

Despite putting runners in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, the Rockers couldn’t complete the comeback. Gabe Klobosits (S, 9), reliever for Gastonia, shut down the High Point offense, securing the 9-8 win for the Baseball Club.

The Rockers (20-14) are 2.5 games behind Charleston (22-12) in the Atlantic League’s South Division second half pennant race and a half-game back of Gastonia (20-14).

The Rockers head to Charleston to take on the Dirty Birds this weekend, and will face Gastonia again next Tuesday when they return home to Truist Point.