· By Whitney Hunt
Dirty Birds Drop Game One to the Rockers
The High Point Rockers overwhelmed the Charleston Dirty Birds with exquisite hitting and pristine pitching to secure an 8-2 victory. High Point's explosive early offense and a dominant performance by starter Kyle Barraclough propelled them to the win.
Charleston Key Performances
- Travis Demeritte (RF): 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (.203 AVG).
- Benjamin Blackwell (DH): 2-for-3, BB, SB (.216 AVG).
- Tyler Hill (C): 2-for-4 (.308 AVG).
Pitching Breakdown
- High Point:
- Starter Kyle Barraclough tossed 5 scoreless innings, striking out 6 and allowing no walks.
- The bullpen combined for 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 6 strikeouts.
- Charleston:
- Starter Jimmy Endersby (L, 0-2): Struggled with control, allowing 6 runs on 7 hits in 4 innings.
- The bullpen gave up 2 additional runs over 5 innings.
Key Moments
- High Point started hot with a 2-run rally in the 1st inning, led by Evan Edwards’ RBI single.
- Edwards hit a 3-run homer in the 3rd to extend the lead to 5-0.
- Jordan Luplow’s 2-run triple in the 4th put the game out of reach at 7-0.
- Charleston’s lone bright spot came in the 8th when Travis Demeritte hit a 2-run homer.
Game Impact:
The High Point Rockers capitalized on Charleston’s pitching struggles, while their own pitching staff kept the Dirty Birds’ bats quiet for most of the game. High Point continues their strong start to the season, while Charleston will look to regroup in their next matchup.
The High Point Rockers capitalized on Charleston’s pitching struggles, while their own pitching staff kept the Dirty Birds’ bats quiet for most of the game. High Point continues their strong start to the season, while Charleston will look to regroup in their next matchup.