BARNSTORMERS DROP PAIR IN HIGH POINT

Rockers Clip ‘Stormers, 2-1 and 4-2

In both games on Tuesday evening, the Lancaster Barnstormers struck first.

In both games, they did not score again.

High Point got a walkoff single from Michael Martinez in the bottom of the eighth in the opener, and overcame a 2-0 deficit in the second game to win, 4-2, in a doubleheader sweep over the Barnstormers at Truist Point.

In the second game, Kelly Dugan led off the Lancaster second with a double to left.  Designated pinch runner Jake Hoover raced home when Trayvon Robinson followed with another two-bagger into the left field corner off Neil Uskali (1-0).  Two outs later, Robinson strode home on a single to left by Jack Conley.

Uskali and the High Point bullpen kept the Barnstormers hitless for the remainder of the game.

Nile Ball (0-1) yielded a leadoff double to D.J. Burt in the third.  He moved up on an out and scored on a wild pitch.  One inning later, Zander Wiel drilled a two-out double off the wall in left and came home with the tying run on a single into center by Ben Aklinski.

Burt tripled to right center field opening the fifth inning.  Following a walk to Ryan Grotjohn, pinch runner John Daly scored on a sacrifice fly to right center by Dai Kang Yoh for a 3-2 lead.  An unearned run scored in the sixth for insurance. 

Ryan Dull worked a perfect seventh for his fifth save.

After the Barnstormers failed to score Jack Conley from second base in the top of the eighth in Game One, the Rockers wasted no time to put the game in their pockets.  Michael Russell’s single to center moved Daly to third, and Martinez singled as well off Mike Adams (0-1) to score the game winner.

Through the first seven innings, Mickey Jannis and Jared Lakind dueled to a 1-1 tie.  Jannis yielded a run in the top of the second on a triple to left center by Robinson and Chris Proctor’s topper up the first base line.  The knuckleballer allowed three hits and a run while walking one and striking out seven.

Lakind surrendered five hits, one a leadoff homer in the fourth by Zander Wiel.  He walked three and struck out seven in tossing his third straight quality start.

Jeremy Rhoades (4-0) pitched the top of the eighth to earn the Rockers’ win.

The two clubs conclude the three-game series on Wednesday at 6:35.  Fans may tune into FloBaseball beginning at 6:30 for the play-by-play action.

NOTES:  Lakind dropped his season ERA to 2.20…Lancaster is 0-9 in one-run games…High Point has won 30 of 42 regular season meetings against the ‘Stormers…Robinson’s triple made him the leader among active Atlantic League players.