Mendoza’s walk walks-off Gastonia

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point’s Drew Mendoza drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10^th inning to give the Rockers a 4-3 win over the Gastonia Ghost Peppers at Truist Point on Wednesday night.

Tied at three after nine innings, High Point reliever Jonah Scolaro (W, 2-0) put the Ghost Peppers down in order in the top of the 10^th. In the bottom of the 10^th, with Luis Gonzalez starting on second base for the Rockers, Ben Aklinski drew a walk and Evans Edwards grounded out to second, moving both runners into scoring position. After an intentional walk to Max Viera, Mendoza faced Gastonia reliever Justus Sheffield (L, 1-1). After going to a 3-0 count, Mendoza took a pair of strikes before the payoff pitch was called ball four, giving Mendoza a run-scoring walk and lifting the Rockers to the 4-3 win.

That extra innings would be needed seemed a moot point after the Rockers went into the ninth inning up 3-1. But Gastonia’s Justin Wylie and Patrick Mazeika each hit solo homers off closer Tommy Doyle to tie the game and force the extra frame.

“They got to our bullpen a little bit tonight but when we needed it, Jonah was fantastic. He threw the ball really well,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe.

Gastonia was on the offensive attack right from the beginning. High Point starter Erich Ulemen allowed a leadoff double to Kevin Watson, Jr. then hit Richie Martin and Cole Roederer with consecutive pitches to load the bases. A walk to Wylie gave the Ghost Peppers a 1-0 lead before the Rockers had recorded an out. But a visit from pitching coach Frank Viola straightened out Ulemen who escaped the first without any further damage then allowed just one it over his next four innings.

“Sometimes a pitcher just needs to hear from his pitching coach,” said Keefe. “Frank knew what to tell him and after that, Erich was great.”

The Rockers erased Gastonia’s early lead with a run in the fourth coming on a double by Viera and an RBI single from D.J. Burt. High Point took the lead in the sixth when Aklinski singled, stole second and scored on Mendoza’s RBI double. The lead grew to 3-1 in the seventh when Aidan Brewer walked and eventually scored on an Aklinski single.

Mendoza finished the night with three hits and two RBI. Gastonia was led by Dalton Guthrie who had a pair of hits.

The Rockers are now 8-3 on the season and Gastonia falls to 4-7. The two play again at Truist Point on Thursday night at 6:35 before the weekend series shifts to Gastonia’s CaroMont Health Park.

NOTES: Cody Wilson singled in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games . . . After hitting at least one homer in each of the first nine games of the year, the Rockers were held without a round-tripper on Tuesday and again on Wednesday . . . Following Tuesday’s 14-8 loss to the Ghost Peppers, the Rockers are now 152-11 all-time when scoring eight or more runs in a game . . . The walk-off walk marked the first in the Rockers’ six-year history. It was their 31^st all-time walk-off win.