Rockers topple Blue Crabs, win series

WALDORF, Md. – The High Point Rockers banged out 17 hits en route to a 10-4 win over Southern Maryland in the series finales on Sunday afternoon at Regency Furniture Stadium.

The win sets up the Rockers for what will be a decisive final stretch of the regular season. High Point (24-19) is in third place in the Atlantic League’s South Division with 20 games remaining. The Rockers visit second place Gastonia (26-17) for four games starting on Tuesday and then travel to Charleston (29-14) for four games next weekend.

On Sunday, the Rockers blistered four Blue Crab pitchers in taking the series two games to one. Gilberto Jimenez led the charge with three hits and a pair of runs scored while Ryan Grotjohn added three hits including a pair of doubles to go with two RBI.

Southern Maryland took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Anthony Brocato led off the winning against High Point starter Cam Bedrosian (W, 7-3) with a single. A single by Juan Kelly moved Brocato to third and he scored on a sac fly by Ian Yetsko.

The Rockers tied it in the top of the third with a pair of extra base hits. Jimenez tripled to start the frame and scored on a double to right by Grotjohn. Connor Owings followed with an RBI triple to score Grotjohn then came around to score on a single by Ben Aklinski.

Brocato hit a solo homer in the fourth to pull SMD to within a run at 3-2.

Southern Maryland tied the game in the fifth. Anthony Ray’s pop-up to shallow left was dropped by Grotjohn, allowing Ray to reach second. After a walk to Josh Broughton, Anthony Hill singled to score Ray and tie the game at 3-3.

The Rockers regained the lead in the sixth when Martin Figueroa led off with a single. Brian Parreira then doubled into the right field corner, allowing Figueroa to score from first. Parreira moved to third on a wild pitch from Southern Maryland reliever Hunter Schilperoort (L, 1-3). D.J. Burt then lined out to center, allowing Parreira to score on the sac fly and give the Rockers a 5-3 advantage.

In the top of the seventh, Evan Edwards singled and Quincy Nieporte blooped a double down the rightfield line to put runner at first and third. Figueroa drew a walk from reliever Cody Thompson to load the bases ahead of Burt grounding a single through the left side to score two and put the Rockers up 7-3. Grotjohn’s infield single plated Figueroa as High Point went up 8-3.

High Point added insurance runs in the eighth when Aklinski was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by Figueroa, and in the ninth on an Owings sac fly.

Brocato added a solo homer in the eighth, his second of the game.

The Rockers’ doubleheader at Gastonia on Tuesday is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start at CaroMont Health Park.

NOTES: After a day off on Saturday, the Rockers returned catcher Brian Parreira, center fielder Ben Aklinski and DH Quincy Nieporte to the line-up with D.J. Burt returning to second base from CF… Gilberto Jimenez was seven-for-10 over the final two games of the series… He was four-for-six with a pair of doubles, a homer and three runs scored on Saturday and went three-for-four with a triple, two walks and two runs scored on Sunday… Aklinski has now been hit by a pitch 17 times this season, the second-most in the league… Aklinski has 98 hits on the season and is two shy of collecting 100 or more hits for the fourth consecutive season…