Rockers crush Honey Hunters
Sep. 18—GASTONIA — The Rockers samshed four home runs among 13 hits and slammed Gastonia 13-7 on Friday at CaroMont Health Park.
The win combined with West Virginia's 7-0 loss to Lexington moved High Point into a first-place tie with the Power in second half standings for the Atlantic League's South Division at 24-16 and 20 games left to play.
Stuart Levy hit a three-run homer in the second with Stephen Cardullo and James McOwen on base. Michael Martinez (in the sixth) and Quincy Latiomore (in the seventh) ripped solo shots. Jerry Downs hit a three-run blast as part of a four-run eighth that made it 13-2.
Martinez also cracked a two-run single in the third. Michael Russell lifted a run-scoring sacrifice fly after the Martinez homer in the sixth and another in the eighth before Downs' blast.
Russell, returning to the place where he suffered a broken jaw on a stolen base attempt in July, was hit by a pitch during his first trip to the place. He stole second and third, then scored on Downs' sacrifice fly.
Tyler Gascow, who was signed a day earlier, picked up his first pitching win as a Rocker. He gave up two runs, both on homers, over five innings. The Honey Hunters scored its other five runs off Ryan Chaffee in the eighth.
