Rockers crush Blue Crabs, 11-3

HIGH POINT — Luke Napleton blasted two home runs and the High Point Rockers exploded for eight runs in the sixth inning to win a second straight game over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, 11-3, on Thursday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.

Napleton’s two blasts and four RBIs combined with the three-hit pitching of lefty Ben Wereski (W, 1-1) led the Rockers to the victory.

The win improves High Point to 25-32 for the year while Southern Maryland falls to 38-19. The Blue Crabs continue to lead the Atlantic League’s South Division and entered the game with a magic number of just three to clinch the title with five games remaining.

The game was scoreless until the third inning when Ryan McCarthy led off the frame with a blast to left that just missed going out but resulted in a double. D.J. Burt followed immediately with a single through the right side and McCarthy was able to escape the tag at the plate to give the Rockers a 1-0 lead.

Southern Maryland tied the game in the third when Wereski walked the lead-off batter, Danny Bautista Jr., who moved to third on a single by Ethan Wilson and scored on a Wereski wild pitch that tied the game at 1-1.

Nolan Watson led off the fifth with a double and scored on a single by Patrick Sanchez to put the Rockers back in front 2-1.

The Rockers used five hits and three walks to score eight times in the sixth inning and break open a 2-1 lead to a 10-1 advantage. Alex Dickerson had a two-run double, Ryan McCarthy added a two-run single and Luke Napleton blasted a three-run homer in the Rockers’ highest-scoring inning of the season.

Napleton would follow with a solo homer leading off the ninth inning. He now leads the team with 12 homers on the season.

Wereski allowed just three hits over his five innings of work while walking three and striking out six. Nick Timpanelli and Matt Colucci each allowed a homer in relief but the Rockers offense had already done its damage.

Ian Kahaloa (L, 5-2) took the loss, allowing eight hits and seven runs with two walks and six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

Dickerson finished the night with a pair of RBI and McCarthy had two hits and two RBI as the Rockers equaled their 11 runs with 11 hits while holding SMD to just six safeties.

Game four of the series is scheduled for Friday at 6:35 p.m. at Regency Furniture Stadium. Rocker fans can follow the action on DugoutTV.org and the audio on the free MixLR app.

NOTES: The Rockers signed 6-8 reliever Dustin Baird on Thursday. Baird, who pitched at Brown and Belmont and spent several years in the Frontier and Pioneer Leagues, faced the Rockers twice last week while pitching for Lexington . . . Neither High Point nor Southern Maryland has announced its starting pitchers for Friday’s game.