Rockers drop season-opener to Gastonia

FINAL: Gastonia Ghost Peppers 3, High Point Rockers 1

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Gastonia Ghost Peppers broke a 1-1 tie on Jace Rinehart’s two-run eighth inning homer and took the season-opener from the High Point Rockers 3-1 at Truist Point on Tuesday night in front of a crowd of 2,001.

Hits were hard to come by in this one as the Rockers only tallied three hits in their 2026 debut. Gastonia managed nine hits.

Rockers starter Kent Emanuel shutout the Ghost Peppers through his four innings of work, yielding just two hits while walking two and striking out eight. He left the game after four with a 1-0 lead as centerfielder Bryson Parks singled to open the third inning, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single from Murphy Stehley.

Gastonia tied the game in the sixth off reliever Win Scott (L, 0-1) as Anthony Prato drew a one out walk and scored on a double to left on a ball that was lost in the lights.

The score remained 1-1 until Scott allowed a lead-off double to Gastonia’s Grant Levigne to open the eighth. After Xander Hamilton came on in relief, Rinehart blasted his two-run homer to give the Peppers a 3-1 lead.

The Rockers did not get a base hit after the third inning as three Pepper relievers combined to retire the last 20 batters in a row.

Spencer Adams started for Gastonia and covered five innings, allowing all three High Point hits, while striking out nine and not allowing a walk.

“Kent had a great start but it was one of those nights,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “Adams looked really good, he was pounding the zone with velocity. We just had a ball that got lost in the sky and that will happen.

“For our offense to be successful, we have to get hits and we have to put the ball in play,” said Keefe.  “We didn’t do that tonight.”

Gastonia pitchers recorded 16 strikeouts on the night while High Point hurlers fanned 13. Cory Thompson (W, 1-0) earned the win with two hitless innings and four strikeouts.

The season-opening loss marks just the second time that the Rockers have lost an opener.

Game two of the three-game series at Truist Point will start at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday night. The Rockers will send RHP Fin Del Bonta-Smith to the mound to face Gastonia RHP Connor Grey.