Rockers win with three in 10th
Sep. 4—CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The scored three times in the top of the 10th inning and defeated West Virginia 12-9 at Appalachian Power Park on Friday night. With their fourth straight victory, High Point increased its lead over West Virginia in Atlantic League South Division second-half standings to three games.
The Rockers used an RBI single by Michael Martinez and a sac fly by Quincy Latimore as well as a ground ball by Johnny Field that resulted in a West Virginia error to score their three runs in the tenth.
Joe Johnson came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 10th and retired the Power in order to earn his first save of the season. Kyle Halbohn (1-1) earned the win by pitching a scoreless ninth inning for the Rockers.
Stephen Cardullo led the Rockers with three hits while Giovanny Alfonzo had three RBI and Mike Gulino drove in two.
West Virginia's Jimmy Paredes hit a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the first as the Power took a 1-0 lead.
High Point and West Virginia traded seven-run outbursts in the third inning. The Rockers scored seven times in the top of the third for a 7-1 lead. The first run scored on a bases-loaded balk by former Rocker pitcher Max Povse. Jerry Downs followed with a grounder to second and Johnny Fields beat the throw to the plate. Stephen Cardullo single that scored Latimore to make it 3-1. James McOwen followed with a single that scored Downs from second as High Point went ahead 4-1. Giovanny Alfonzo then followed with his second home run of the year, a three-run shot to put the Rockers up 7-1.
West Virginia rebounded in the bottom of the third and regained the lead with seven runs, with a three-run homer and two two-run singles providing the scoring. A solo homer in the fifth pushed the Power's advantage to 9-7.
High Point tied the game at 9-9 in the top of the seventh when Mike Gulino delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded.
