Rockers win 5th straight, down ducks 7-1

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – The High Point Rockers won their fifth straight game with a 7-1 victory over the Long Island Ducks on Saturday night at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

With a 32-12 record, the Rockers have reached 20 games over .500 and maintain an eight game lead over second place Southern Maryland in the Atlantic League’s South Division with 19 games remaining to play.

The Rockers banged out 10 hits while High Point’s bullpen set down all nine batters they faced by fly outs.

High Point starter Cooper Casad (W, 1-1) went six innings and allowed just five hits and one run while striking out two and not allowing a walk. Long Island totaled five hits on the night and went down in order in each of the final three innings of the game.

In the bottom of the first, Long Island’s Cody Thomas doubled off Rockers starter Cooper Casad and one batter later, Troy Viola singled to right to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

The Rockers gained a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the sixth. With two outs, Luis Gonzalez singled off Ducks starter Ryan Sandberg. Sandberg then exited and Brad Case came on in relief. Max Viera grounded to short but the throw to first was wide, allowing Viera to take second and sending Gonzalez to third. With Braxton Davidson at the plate, a passed ball on Ducks catcher Justin O’Conner allowed Gonzalez to score and a subsequent wild pitch from Case brought home Viera.

The Rockers Ben Aklinski turned in a remarkable defensive play in the bottom of the sixth. After Chris Roller had singled to center, Long Island’s River Town flew out to Aklinski in center. Sensing that Roller was well off the bag, Aklinski unleashed a strike to first to double off Roller.

The Rockers threatened again in the seventh when Jacob Asa walked Aidan Brewer and D.J. Burt. A passed ball moved each runner up a base. Drew Mendoza then lifted a sac fly to right, bringing Brewer across the plate and giving the Rockers a 3-1 advantage.

High Point added an insurance run in the eighth when Viera singled, move to second on a single by Jack Conley and scored on Ian Yetsko’s single to center, giving the Rockers a 4-1 lead.

The Rockers added three more runs in the ninth on an RBI single by Viera and a two-run single by Davidson.

Kyle Halbohn put the Ducks down in order in the seventh and Stevie Branche did the same in the eighth while Dan Blair followed suit in the ninth.

Mendoza and Viera each recorded a pair of hits while Viera led all players with three runs scored.

NOTES: The Rockes have matched their season-long winning streak at five games . . . High Point is now 8-0 vs. North Division opponents this season.