Rockers ‘hit by pitch’ their way to win over ‘Hawks

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers picked an unusual way to start their game with Staten Island on Thursday night. Four of High Point’s first five batters were hit by a pitch and that fueled a four-run rally to what would become a 9-3 win over the Ferryhawks in front of 2,040 fans at Truist Point.

After retiring Rockers lead-off hitter D.J. Burt on a grounder to third, Staten Island starting pitcher Anthony Quattrocchi (L, 0-1) hit the next four batters he faced. Michael Russell, Zander Wiel, and Beau Taylor all got plunked and when Quattrocchi hit Ben Aklinski to make it four in a row, Aklinski earned the RBI as Russell scored. Ryan Grotjohn then slapped a two-run single to right and Aklinski scored on an infield groundout by Daikan Yoh to give the Rockers a 4-0 lead after one.

“I’ve never seen that before in my life,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe of the four consecutive hit batters. While there is no known Atlantic League record for consecutive hit batters, it is worth noting that no Major League Baseball pitcher has ever hit more than three batters in a single inning.

Justin Williams blasted a solo homer leading off the third for Staten Island to make it a 4-1 contest.

Quattrocchi put the Rockers down in order in the second but ran into trouble again in the third. He walked Wiel to start the inning before Taylor delivered a run-scoring double. After three more walks to Aklinski, Grotjohn and Yoh, Ferryhawks manager Homer Bush pulled Quattrocchi and brought in Christian Capuano, who was able to pitch the ‘Hawks out of the inning but not before High Point took a 7-1 lead.

Russell gave the Rockers an 8-1 advantage with a homer leading off the fourth, his seventh blast of the year. Yoh doubled with one out in the fifth and scored on a fielding error by Staten Island to put High Point up 9-1. The Ferryhawks scored once in the sixth and then cut the lead to 9-3 on a Roldani Baldwin homer to start the seventh.

High Point starter Jheyson Manzueta (W, 2-0) went six innings and allowed eight hits and two runs while walking one and striking out three.

“Manzueta had another great outing,” said Keefe. “He kept the ball down in the zone and he was effective. When he needed a strikeout, he got it.”

The Rockers were out-hit 12 to five but were aided by seven walks, three Ferryhawk errors and the aforementioned four hit batters, leading to an additional 14 baserunners. No Rocker had more than one hit. Staten Island first baseman Luis Castro led all players with three hits.

The Rockers are now 3-2 in the second half and 44-24 on the season.

High Point will leave Friday morning and head to Lexington where they will start a three-game weekend series with the Counter Clocks. Friday’s first pitch is slated for 6:45 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on FLO Baseball and available on the Mixlr app.