Rockers held to 3 hits in loss at Gastonia

GASTONIA, N.C. – The Gastonia Honey Hunters used a six-run third inning to erase High Point’s early 3-0 advantage and went on to defeat the Rockers 7-3 on Tuesday night at CaroMont Health Park.

The loss puts the Rockers two full games behind Gastonia for the first time this season. High Point is now 36-17 on the season while the Honey Hunters improve to 38-16.

After holding the Rockers to just four hits last night, Gastonia’s staff allowed just three hits on Wednesday night.

The Rockers took a 3-0 lead in the second inning when Gastonia starter Sam Gaviglio issued three walks to load the bases. Dai-Kang Yang scored on a sac fly to center by Emmanuel Tapia before Michael Martinez doubled to score Ryan Grotjohn and Ben Aklinski.

Gastonia scored six runs in the bottom of the third on the strength of six consecutive base hits, the last of which was a bases loaded triple by Zack Jarrett that brought in all three baserunners. Luis Curbelo and Braxton Davidson added RBI singles off High Point starter Matt Solter (L, 3-2).

Gastonia’s Steven Sensley hit a solo homer leading off the bottom of the fourth for a 7-3 lead. It was the first run allowed by Rockers reliever Cam Bedrosian this year.

Gastonia reliever Sam Freeman (W, 1-0) earned the win with two innings of one-hit relief. Jake Meidnik kept the Rockers hitless in the seventh and Bryan Blanton pitched two hitless innings in closing out the game. Shed Long, Jr. singled in the fifth for High Point’s last hit of the evening. Long had two of High Point’s three hits with Martinez collecting the other.  Jarrett led the Honey Hunters with three RBI.

Game three of the series is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:35 at Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park. The game will be available on FLO Baseball and the Mixlr app.