Rockers magic number at 3 after win over Peppers

GASTONIA, N.C. – The High Point Rockers scored nine runs over the fourth and fifth innings and went on to post a 12-6 win over the Gastonia Ghost Peppers on Thursday night at CaroMont Health Park. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Rockers.

The Rockers dropped their magic number to clinch the Atlantic League’s South Division title to three as High Point returns home to open a three-game series on Friday against the Lancaster Stormers.

High Point owns a six-game lead over the second place Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The Rockers can clinch the title with any combination of three High Point wins and/or Southern Maryland losses.

The game was tied 3-3 after three innings when the Rockers opened the flood gates.

The Rockers put a pair of runners on board to open the fourth when Aidan Brewer and Luis Gonzalez each singled. A third straight single by Max Viera plated Brewer and put Gonzalez at third. Drew Mendoza hit into a 6-4-3 double play but Gonzalez crossed the plate to put High Point up 5-3. After another single by Jordan Luplow, Alex Dickerson slammed a homer to right to extend the Rockers lead to 7-3.

Mendoza grounded out to short in the bottom of the fifth, bringing home Isaiah Mirabal to give the Rockers an 8-3 lead. After Gastonia reliever Jackson boss walked Luplow, Dickerson delivered his second homer of the night, a grand slam, to increase High Point’s lead to 12-3.

High Point starter Cooper Casad (W, 2-2) went six innings, allowed eight hits and five runs while walking one and striking out four. Gastonia starter Justus Sheffield (L, 5-2) allowed 11 hits and seven runs, six earned over his four innings of work.

High Point host the Lancaster Stormers in their only visit to High Point this season. The three-game series starts on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. Rockers fans can follow the action on FLOBASEBALL.tv and on the Mixlr app.

NOTES: Casad is in his fourth stint with the Rockers having pitched in 2021-22 and 2024-25 . . . The win was his 12^th career victory as a Rocker putting him in fourth place in career wins . . . Dickerson’s grand slam was the eighth of the season for the Rockers, setting a club record for slams in a season . . . The 2019 and 2023 Rockers clubs each hit seven grand slams . . . Luis Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 13 straight games with a fourth inning single.