Six Runs in Ninth Put High Point on Verge
The back end of Lancaster’s bullpen, which has been golden as of late, suffered a collapse in the late innings on Friday night as High Point struck for six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a shocking 7-4 win over the Stormers at Truist Point
With the win, the Rockers dropped their magic number to two for clinching the first half title in the South Division.
Noah Bremer stifled the Rockers for the first seven innings, tossing three-hit shutout baseball and, at one point, retiring 15 consecutive Rockers batters.
The stumble began with Gerson Moreno on the hill in the eighth with the Stormers up, 3-0. Aiden Brewer led off the inning with a scratch single to third and stole second. Moreno fanned Braxton Davidson for the first out. Luis Gonzalez hit a routine grounder to second baseman Nick Lucky, but the throw to first was dropped by Mason Martin. Max Viera fanned for the second out, but an infield single by Drew Mendoza up the first base line produced a run.
Moreno hit Jordan Luplow with a pitch, forcing Lancaster to bring on Cody Stashak to rescue the inning. Alex Dickerson forced the count to 3-2 before flying to the warning track in left for the final out.
After Lancaster scored an extra run in the top of the ninth on a triple by Nick Lucky and sacrifice fly by Alex Isola for a 4-1 cushion.
Stashak, who had allowed only three baserunners in nine previous innings as a Stormer, walked Ben Aklinski to open the ninth. One-time Lancaster catcher Jack Conley singled up the middle. Stashak got Aiden Brewer on strikes for the first out but walked Braxton Davidson to fill the bases. Phil Diehl, on a 13-inning scoreless streak, coaxed a force play grounder out of Luis Gonzalez that brought Lancaster to the edge of the win. Max Viera kept the inning alive with a single to right to cut the lead to 4-3, and Drew Mendoza singled to left to tie the game at 4-4.
Jordan Luplow took Diehl (0-4) over the wall in left for the game winner.
The Stormers jumped ahead, 3-0, in the top of the third. Yeison Coca and Lucky produced runs on sacrifice flies, and Joseph Carpenter knocked home a run on a double into the right field corner.
Stevie Branche (2-1) earned the win for High Point.
Max Green (0-3) will make the start for Lancaster on Saturday against lefty Jonah Scolaro (2-2). Fans may tune into the game on FloBaseball, beginning at 6:30.
NOTES: Martin singled to extend his on base streak to a 20th game…Lucky had his third triple of the year, half the team total…All six three baggers have been hit on the road…Bremer became the first Lancaster starter to pitch seven innings this season…He has a 2.61 ERA in his last seven starts.