Late homers fuel Rockers to victory

LEXINGTON, Ky.  – The High Point Rockers broke away from a 9-9 tie with a pair of late solo homers to defeat the Lexington Legends 11-10 on Tuesday night in the opening game of a six-game series at CommonSpirit Park.

With the game tied 9-9 after six innings, Ethan Skender hit a solo homer with one out in the seventh to put the Rockers up 10-9. Aidan Brewer then hit a solo homer in the eighth to give the Rockers a two-run cushion. They needed as Curtis Terry homered for Lexington in the ninth before Ryan Chasse recorded the final outs to earn his seventh save of the season.

With the win, the Rockers improve to 10-6 in the second half and 39-40 while Lexington goes to 9-7 and 35-42. The Rockers lead the Legends by a game in the Atlantic League’s South Division second half pennant race.

Nick Senzel homered off Rockers starter Kasen McCawley in the first as the Legends took a 1-0 lead. But High Point unloaded with seven runs in the second including a grand slam from Ivan Melendez. Nolan Watson, Brewer and Ryan McCarthy each contributed run-scoring singles in the frame.

The Legends clawed back in the bottom of the second three times on a pair of doubles and a sac fly to cut High Point’s lead to 7-4.

High Point extended its lead to 9-4 in the fourth when Watson doubled ahead of a Brewer single. Watson scored on a wild pitch from Lexington starter Jack Lynch and Brewer was plated on Luke Napleton’s sac fly to center.

Brayden Matthews came on in relief in the third and allowed a solo homer to Jackson Feltner in the fourth as Lexington pulled to within four at 9-5.

After a scoreless fifth, Matthews ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing two runs, including an RBI triple from Feltner, before departing with a 9-7 lead and one on. Alec Barger came on and allowed a two-run homer to Senzel, his second of the game, that tied the contest at 9-9.

Skender broke the tie with one out in the seventh, blasting a solo homer to left to stake the Rockers to a 10-9 lead. And Brewer’s homer in the eighth put the Rockers up 11-9.

Alec Barger (W, 1-2) earned the victory with 1.1 innings of work. Stefan Raith threw a scoreless eighth inning to earn a hold.

Brewer finished the night with three hits and two RBI while Watson and Skender had two hits apiece.

Wednesday’s game two of the six-game series is set for 6:45 p.m. as the Rockers send newcomer Sam Ryan to the mound to face Lexington’s Caden Spivey (0-0, 10-13). Ryan, most recently a member of the Minnesota Twins organization, is expected to sign with the Rockers prior to Wednesday’s game.

Rocker fans can follow the action live on DugoutTV.org or the audio broadcast on the free app MixLR.