Rockers Rule Roost, Silence Dirty Birds 3-2

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Zander Wiel blasted a pair of home runs to lead the High Point Rockers to a 3-2 win over Charleston on Sunday afternoon at Truist Point. The win gave the Rockers a 2-1 series win over the Dirty Birds.

Starting pitchers Jheyson Manzueta of High Point and Kevin Herget of Charleston kept both line-ups at bay through the first five innings. Manzueta allowed five hits and just a single run while walking two and striking out two. Herget held the Rockers to six hits and one run while striking out eight.

at Truist Point on April 21, 2022 in High Point, North Carolina. (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)

Charleston scored the first run of the game in the fifth inning when Engel Beltre doubled and scored on a single by Dirty Bird catcher Yovan Gonzalez.

The Rockers tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when Zander Wiel blasted his third home run of the season, a solo shot to left off Herget.

Lefty Adam Choplick came on in relief to start the eighth inning and retired the Dirty Birds on three infield groundouts sandwiched around a walk.

In the bottom of the eighth, Charleston reliever Justin Miller yielded a lead-off single to Quincy Latimore. Wiel then pulled a Miller offering down the left field line, tucking it inside the foul pole for a two-run homer and a 3-1 Rockers lead.

Of his second homer, Wiel said that Miller “throws the ball across the plate at a different angle so I was just looking for something middle in.”

Chasen Bradford started the top of the ninth for the Rockers and allowed a pair of singles. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Charleston third baseman Scott Burcham flew out to right field to score Connor Justus on the sacrifice fly. Bradford then retired Scott Kelly on a fly ball to left to secure the save and the Rockers’ win.

The Rockers will have Monday off before starting a three-game home set with the Long Island Ducks on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.