Rockers swept at Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The High Point Rockers dropped both ends of a doubleheader at GoMart Park on Friday to the South Division-leading Charleston Dirty Birds, falling 8-7 in the first game and 6-5 in the nightcap.

The opener, which was the resumption of a suspended game from August 4, began with Charleston holding a 7-4 lead in the second inning. The Rockers then rallied before falling 8-7. The nightcap was the opposite: High Point took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth before the Dirty Birds scored four times to take the 6-5 decision.

The sweep leaves the Rockers in third place in the Atlantic League South Division at 19-16 while Charleston increased its lead to 4.5 games at 24-12. Gastonia (20-16) is in second, a game ahead of High Point and 3.5 behind Charleston. The Rockers have dropped six consecutive games.

High Point starter Jonah Scolaro had allowed seven runs in the first inning but the Rockers had battled back to make it a 7-4 game when a problem with the pitching mound caused the game to be put on hold.

In the continuation, Scolaro was back on the mound and much more effective. Scolaro allowed just four hits and one run over the final six innings and finished the game with eight strikeouts. Scolaro on Friday allowed only a solo homer to Matt Hibbert in the fourth as Charleston’s lead grew to 8-4.

And while Scolaro was holding the Dirty Birds in check, the Rockers got their bats going. Martin Figueroa hit a sac fly in the seventh that made it an 8-5 game. In the top of the ninth, the Rockers scored twice to pull to within a run. Trey Martin singled, Gilberto Jimenez was hit by a pitch and Brian Parreira doubled to right to bring home both runs. Charleston reliever Seth Nightingale then walked D.J. Burt and hit Figueroa with a pitch to load the bases. However, Ben Aklinski grounded into a 6-2-5-2 double play with both Parreira and Burt put out at home plate. Connor Owings popped out to end the threat and leave Charleston with an 8-7 win.

In the nightcap, Charleston starter Kevin Smith walked the bases loaded to open the game before a sac fly from Owings and an RBI single from Michael Martinez gave High Point a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, Phillip Ervin hit a solo homer and Tillman Pugh slapped an RBI single to tie the game. But High Point starter Stephen Ridings, who has been bothered by a blister on his pitching hand that most recently cost him two starts, again experienced a problem that chased him from the contest after just 2.2 innings and the score tied. Jacob Edwards came on to replace Ridings and held Charleston scoreless through the fifth, allowing two hits while striking out three.

The Rockers rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth. Martinez singled and scored on a double by Trey Martin. A single by Burt brought home Martin and another single by Ryan Grotjohn plated Burt to give High Point a 5-3 lead.

Dakota Chalmers came on in the sixth inning of the scheduled seven inning contest and allowed the Dirty Birds to score four times on two hits and four walks, taking a 6-5 lead. Will Carter was summoned from the bullpen and hit the first batter he faced, Pugh, to load the bases. Rusber Estrada then grounded out to end the inning. Charleston’s Ricardo Gomez worked around a hit and a walk in the top of the seventh to earn the save.

High Point and Charleston will play again on Saturday night at GoMart Park at 6:35 p.m.