Rockers find offensive punch against Legends
Jun. 27—HIGH POINT — The Rockers produced their best back-to-back offensive output of the season in two lopsided victories Saturday and Sunday over Lexington that completed a sweep of a three-game series at Truist Point.
In both cases, High Point used a big inning to turn a one-run advantage into a romp.
In an 18-7 victory Sunday, three-run homers by Tyler Ladendof and Giovanny Alfonzo keyed an eight-run sixth inning that put the Rockers up 15-6. In a 13-5 win Saturday, Michael Martinez hit a three-run homer that capped a six-run fifth that pushed the lead to 12-5.
The 18 runs Sunday tied the team's season-high, as did 18 hits. The 31 runs in the two games is the most in consecutive contests this season.
The offensive outbursts were in sharp contrast to a 2-1 High Point victory Friday night in which neither team scored until both hit solo homers in the seventh and the go-ahead run crossed the plate on Quincy Latimore's sacrifice fly in the eighth.
The sweep gave the Rockers four straight victories as they improved to 34-25 and stayed mathematically alive in the Atlantic League South Division first-half race as Gastonia (40-18) lost to Southern Maryland. Gastonia needs one win or one Rockers loss to clinch the first-half pennant.
"It was a great series for us," Rockers manager Jamie Keefe said. "We needed to come in here to have three good games, not to win the series but to sweep those guys. Hats off to the boys. That's four in a row for us. We're starting to see where we need to get to, get the pitching staff where we need to be."
The Rockers mustered Sunday's big inning on the strength of seven hits and a walk. With one out, Aklinski started it with a single and scored on Jerry Downs' double. Xander Wiel followed with a double that scored Downs. After Logan Morrison walked, Ladendorf homered, pushing the lead to 12-6.
Jay Gonzalez and Mike Gullino followed with back-to-back singles. Alfonzo then hit his second homer of the season as the last batter faced by Jeff Johnson, who gave up all the runs and hits in the inning.
Aklinski went 4 for 6 with four RBIs (upping his total for the season to 38) and two runs scored (upping his team-best mark to 45). He clouted a solo homer to center in the first, hit a two-run single that was part of a four-run fourth and a one-run single in a three-run eighth in which the Rockers laced five straight singles and sacrifice fly.
Downs and Wiel each went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. In addition to their run-scoring hits in the sixth, each joined Aklinski in driving in a run in the ninth. Gulino was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Gonzalez was 3 for 5 with a run driven in (on a fifth-inning grounder) and three runs scored. Alfonzo was 2 for 5 and Ladendorf 1 for 3.
In Saturday's big inning, Johnny Field and Aklinski drilled singles and Downs walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Adam Taylor smoked a line drive that deflected off the first baseman's glove into foul territory, scoring Field and Aklinski. Downs then scored on a wild pitch. Latimore walked, setting the stage for Martinez as the first batter who faced Winston Lavendier.
Jonah Scolaro picked up the win, improving to 2-1. He gave up three runs (one in the first on a RBI groundout and two in the third on a double and a groundout) and four hits. Lexington pulled to within one in the sixth when it scored three runs on five straight singles against Nathan Bates.
Kyle Mott was Saturday's pitching winner in relief of Austin Glorius, who was charged with all five Lexington runs. Mott, and fellow relievers Joe Johnson, Adam Choplick and John Hayes combined for all of High Point's 13 strikeouts.
The Rockers begin a three-game series at Charleston Tuesday and return home for a three-game series against first-half North Division champ Southern Maryland that begins Friday.
