Legends pounce on Rockers mistakes
Jun. 16—HIGH POINT — Playing at home for the first time in over a week didn't provide much comfort for the Rockers on Tuesday.
Atlantic League South Division leader Lexington (Kentucky) broke open a close game by scoring two runs on a play aided by an error and three more on home runs in the seventh, then added two more on two errors in the ninth and tripped High Point 9-4 at Truist Point stadium.
The Legends improved to 10-4 while second-place High Point dropped to 9-7 and fell two games behind in South standings.
With the three errors, the Rockers have committed 17 while going 3-4 in their last seven games. They had just six errors in their first nine games.
"That's the way we've been playing, right there," Rockers manager Jamie Keefe said. "We've been giving a lot of runs away, a lot of extra base runners. We managed to scrap out some wins but against that lineup, you are not going to do that."
Lexington touched the Rockers' pitching for 13 hits.
"It's the best we've faced hands down," Keefe said. "Those guys in the middle of their lineup are going to bang it. You can't give them extra base runners or they are going to do damage and that's what they did tonight."
The score was tied 2-2 in the seventh when the Legends struck against reliever Nefi Ogando, who replaced starter Craig Stem. After a ground-rule double and a walk, third baseman D.J. Peterson singled, scoring one run. The throw home got past losing pitcher Ogando, who was backing up the play and rolled into the tunnel leading to the Rockers clubhouse, permitting a second run to score and Peterson to go to third.
Keon Barnum followed with a two-run homer, chasing Ogando, and Courtney Hawkins greeted Kyle Halbohn by hitting a solo shot to right, making it 7-2.
The Rockers got two back when J.R. DiSarcina drilled a homer in the eighth with Logan Moore aboard.
That was all the scoring for High Point, which committed two errors in the ninth that allowed two runs to score. The last one crossed on a play typical for the night when a Lexington batter reached on a three-base throwing error with one on. The runner fell down about 10 feet from the plate but got up and scored because Rockers catcher Logan Moore bobbled and dropped the throw home.
Stem allowed two runs in the first on an RBI double and RBI single, then pitched five scoreless innings and was lifted after the sixth. Stem gave up seven hits, struck out seven and walked one.
"The bright spot was that Stemmer pitched outstanding," Keffe said. "He hasn't been himself all year. He's been fighting himself. To see him do that tonight was huge for him and huge for us.
We'll put this one behind us. We just have to play clean defense."
The game marked the first game this season for infielder Stephen Cardullo, who signed earlier in the day. Cardullo hit 22 home runs and had 20 stolen bases as one of the Rockers' mainstays in 2019.
Cardullo pounded a two-run homer that ended Liam O'Sullivan's shutout with one out in the sixth, a batter after James McOwen stopped O'Sullivan's no-hit bid. O'Sullivan was the winning pitcher.
"It was nice to have Cardullo back out there," Keefe said. "I would have put $100 down that he'd hit that homer. That is who he is. To have him come out and do what he did tonight was outstanding"
Cardullo became the fourth starter at first base since Logan Morrison left to join the Reds organization. DiSarcina started at third for the first time, which followed two starts there by Giovanny Alfonzo, in the wake of Michael Russell suffering a hand injury.
"If we play clean defense and throw strikes, we'll win ballgames and we're not doing that right now," Keefe said. "We have to make pitches in the right situation and we have to play defense. If we play defense we have a chance in the last inning. All I want to do is get the tying run to the plate in the last inning. If they've got a three-run lead instead of a five-run lead, you have a better chance."
The series with Lexington continues Wednesday when fans can receive a free ticket if they show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination.
