BARNSTORMERS FALL AGAIN

Rockers’ Keefe Earns 1,000^th Win

The night belonged to the High Point Rockers and their manager Jamie Keefe

Dai Kang Yoh snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the Rockers cruised to a 6-1 win over the Lancaster Barnstormers to complete a three-game sweep at Truist Point.

The win was Keefe’s 1000^th managing in the minor leagues.

Lancaster jumped ahead on Andretty Cordero’s RBI single to right in the top of the first inning but did not get another runner into scoring position until the eighth.

Meanwhile, Jacob Lemoine (1-2) was able to preserve the lead through five innings.  Everything fell apart in the sixth.  Lemoine walked John Nogowski to start the inning and balked him to second.  Zander Wiel cranked a double to left to tie the game.  Lemoine departed after a walk to Ben Aklinski, and Brian Marconi was summoned from the pen.  The left-hander walked Ben Taylor to load the bases.  He was able to strike out Ryan Grotjohn, but Yoh reached Marcone for a two-run single to left.

The eighth inning provided an opportunity for the Barnstormers to get back into the game.  Trace Loehr and Melvin Mercedes opened the frame with singles off veteran Major League right-hander Kyle Barraclough.  Yeison Coca dropped a sacrifice bunt down, but Barraclough fanned both Cordero and Kelly Dugan to get out of the jam.

An error by Loehr opened the way to a three-run eighth against Andrew Lee.  Grotjohn’s triple into the right field corner drove home the first two runs, and Yoh’s sacrifice fly capped the scoring.

Taylor Guerrieri (1-1) threw a scoreless sixth to pick up the win.

Lancaster heads to Gastonia to open a four-game series against the Honey Hunters on Friday at 6:35. The game can be viewed on FloBaseball, starting at 6:30.

NOTES:  Lancaster has lost seven straight on the road…It was the third time the club has been swept…Mercedes broke out of a five-game drought with three singles and a walk…Lancaster only has 16 hits over the last four games without hitting a home run…They have three extra base hits…Lemoine walked five on Wednesday evening after putting only three on in his first four starts.