Rockers One-Hit by Ducks

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Long Island’s Stephen Tarpley threw eight innings of one-hit baseball and shut out the High Point Rockers 2-0 on Thursday night at Truist Point.

The Rockers (29-20) were held to a franchise-low one hit. The previous low had come against Southern Maryland when High Point was limited to just two hits. For the game, Long Island pitchers faced one over the minimum as High Point sent just 28 batters to the plate.

Tarpley (W, 1-3), who has played in the Major Leagues with the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins and in 2021 with the New York Mets, set the Rockers down in order through the first three innings. He walked Ben Aklinski with one out in the fourth but then retired Jerry Downs and Zander Wiel to get out of the frame.

Mike Gulino led off the sixth with an infield single to second base but was immediately wiped out on a 4-6-3 double play from Vladimir Frias to Deven Marrero to Sam Travis.

Tarpley retired the Rockers in order in six of his eight innings, striking out the side in the fifth. He finished the night with one walk and seven strikeouts. Nick Goody struck out the side in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.

“Tarpley pitched a helluva game,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “He mixed speeds and he never threw the same pitch in the same spot more than once in any at-bat.”

Rockers starter Craig Stem (L, 0-2), turned in a fine performance as well, scattering five hits over six innings. He allowed a lead-off homer to Dustin Woodcock in the sixth as Long Island took a 1-0 lead. With two outs, he walked Alejandro De Aza who went to second on a single by Travis and scored on an RBI single by Deibinson Romero for a 2-0 Ducks advantage.

“Stem threw the ball well again,” said Keefe. “Offensively, we didn’t do enough to win.”

The Rockers now head to West Virginia for a four-game series with the Dirty Birds. High Point will send Neil Uskali to mound in Friday night’s opener. Saturday’s doubleheader includes a make-up game from a weather postponement back on May 25.