West Virginia completes sweep
Sep. 27—HIGH POINT — Olmo Rosario smacked a grand slam home run, helping West Virginia defeat the Rockers 8-6 at Truist Point.
Winning for the seventh time in their last eight meetings of the season, the Power swept the three-game weekend series and increased their lead over High Point in South Division second-half standings to 3.5 games.
High Point's lead over Southern Maryland for a possible wild-card berth in the playoffs shrank to three games as the Blue Crabs won Sunday.
Rosario sent a drive just past the top of the left field wall on the final pitch delivered by Rocker starter and loser Jheyson Manzueta, who loaded the bases on two walks and a single. Scott Kelly laced a RBI double in the sixth that increased the Power's lead to 8-3..
The Rockers scored their final three in the bottom of the sixth without a hit. Four straight walks plated one run. A wild pitch allowed another to score, and Stephen Cardullo's sacrifice fly drove in another.
High Point mustered just one base runner in the last three innings, that on a walk in the eighth.
Defensive miscues by the Rockers helped the Power overcome High Point's early 2-0 lead on Jerry Downs' two-run single in the first.
In the second, Dario Pizzano stayed alive at the plate when his pop fly in foul territory was dropped and used the second chance to lace a double to right and go to third when Jared Mitchell dropped the ball after fielding it. Pizanno eventually scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the third, Scott Kelly singled, Alberto Cellaspo doubled and Pizzano walked to load the bases.
Rosario skied a popup that third baseman Stephen Cardullo had trouble getting under. Cardullo dropped the ball, instead of securing the third out, allowing Kelly and Callaspo to score and putting the Power ahead 3-2.
Downs homered and tied the score in the bottom of the third but the Rockers also squandered a chance to regain the lead. Cardullo reached base when he was hit by a pitch and Quincy Latimore skied a ball to left that Pizzano never saw in the lowering afternoon sun.
The ball bounced over a wall for a ground-rule that prevented Cardullo from scoring but gave the Rockers runners on second and third. They failed to capitalize as winning pitcher Joe Testa retired the next three batters in order.
The contest was the last of the regular season involving the two teams and the Rockers' last against the South Division. High Point completes the last six games of its final home stand with three Tuesday-Thursday against York and three Friday-Sunday against Southern Maryland.
Projected starting pitchers against York are Tyler Garkow on Tuesday, Cooper Casad on Wednesday and Craig Stem on Thursday.
The Rockers spend the last week of the regular season on the road Oct. 5-7 at the Blue Crabs and Oct. 8-10 at Lancaster.
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