Gastonia rolls past Rockers, 10-3
Sep. 14—HIGH POINT — Gastonia opened a big lead early and defeated the Rockers 10-3 in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday at Truist Point.
The Honey Hunters scored two in the first, one in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth as they went ahead 7-2, having less trouble hitting the knuckleball of Rockers starter Mickey Jannis than his battery mate, Roldani Baldwin, had trouble catching it at times.
Despite the loss, the Rockers (69-58) moved closer to an Atlantic League playoff berth.
Kentucky lost 4-1 to Staten Island, reducing High Point's magic number for clinching the wild-card spot in the postseason to one (either a Rockers win or a Genomes loss).
High Point played with bench coach Alberto Gonzalez serving as acting manager while manager Jamie Keefe served the first game of a four-game suspension as punishment for an ejection Sunday.
Gastonia's runs in the first scored on a passed ball and Zack Jarrett's groundout.
Hertis Rodriguez smacked a solo homer in the second.
A wild pitch and Jarrett's single enabled two runs to score in the third, and Jack Reinheimer belted a two-run single in the fourth.
The Rockers were held to seven hits.
Two were solo homers allowed by Gastonia starter Gunnar Himes.
Michael Russell hit the first one, his ninth of the year, leading off the first, and Logan Morrison smashed the other, his 15th of the year, in the second.
After Morrison's shot, Gastonia pitching retired 16 of the next 17 batters, a stretch that ran through the seventh inning. They smacked three hits in the eighth, scoring a run on Ben Aklinski's RBI single and leaving the bases loaded on a strikeout.
Gastonia tacked on three in the ninth. Jarrett hit a two-run homer, giving him four RBIs, and the other scored on a throwing error.
The series continues today at 6:35 p.m.
