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HIGH POINT COMPLETES SWEEP

Grotjohn’s  Four-Hit Game Propels Rockers

The plotline remained basically the same on Sunday afternoon as it had been the previous two nights. 

Connor Owings slugged a two-run homer in the top of the second, and High Point’s stingy pitching staff limited the Stormers to five hits for a third straight game, as the Rockers completed a series sweep, 5-2, at Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Perhaps the only difference on Sunday was that Ryan Grotjohn went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, giving the Rockers as many runs as they scored in the first two games of the series.

A single by Grotjohn and Owings’ homer onto the right field deck produced a 2-0 lead off Jack Labosky (3-2) in the top of the second, identical to Friday night against Noah Bremer.  Grotjohn singled home Ben Aklinski in the third for a 3-0 lead.

Labosky settled down and got the Stormers through the seventh inning, opening the possibility of a comeback.  Lancaster stole four bases off starter Taylor Guerrieri through the first three innings but could not push a run across the plate.  Justin Farmer singled off Jacob Edwards (4-0), moved up on a bunt, went to third on a single by Kyle Kasser and rode home on a Shawon Dunston, Jr. sac fly to center.

Joseph Carpenter added a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, slicing the lead to one, but Lancaster never put another runner on base against the High Point pen.  The Rockers inched further ahead in the eighth on a triple by Grotjohn and sac fly by Zander Wiel.  Aklinski produced the final run on a bases loaded grounder in the ninth.

Garrett Schilling pitched the perfect ninth for his second save.

Lancaster will open a three-game series at Southern Maryland on Tuesday.  Max Green (2-3) will make the start for the Stormers.  Fans may tune into FloBaseball at 6:30 to catch all the action.

NOTES:  Carpenter has now hit safely in 20 of 21…Dunston stole his 22nd and 23rd bases of the season in the first inning…The Owings homer was the first off Labosky in 52 innings this season…Labosky tossed his sixth quality start in nine games…He hit three of the first 10 batters that he faced, including left fielder Martin Figueroa twice…Grotjohn’s four-hit game was the first against the Stormers this season.