Sep. 12—HIGH POiNT — Johnny Field did it again Saturday night at Truist Point.
For the fourth time this season and the second night in a row, Field produced a walk-off at-bat, this time a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth that made the Rockers 3-2 winners over West Virginia and increased their second-half lead over the Power in Atlantic League South Division standings to two full games.
High Point improved to 53-41, 22-12 while West Virginia dropped to 42-50, 20-14.
“They keep giving me chances in a big spot and things are going my way right now,” Field said.
With the count two balls and a strike with one out, Field belted a fastball from Eleardo Cabrera far enough that it got over the centerfield wall.
“I got just enough of it,” Field said. “I hit it hard but I didn’t know if it was high enough to get out so I was getting out of the (batters) box because I was thinking double or triple right there. It was a good heater and I got a lot of the barrel of the bat on it and the rest is history.”
Field was doused by ice and water by some of his teammates while he was interviewed on the stadium’s public address system.
“It’s cold but it feels good, man,” Field said.
Field’s 12th homer of the year was his second walkoff. A night earlier, he put a ball in play that resulted in a throwing error that allowed the winning run to score. He also has a walkoff single. And that doesn’t include one spectacular victory-saving catch with two out in the ninth.
“At the end of the game, I think we know who we don’t mind coming to the plate,” Rockers manager Jamie Keefe said. “He got that one. But hats off to the guys. They just kept grinding.”
Field’s winning blow came after High Point University product Joe Johnson pitched the ninth and held the Power scoreless for the eighth straight inning while dealing with controversy.
With two out and a runner on, Johnson delivered a pitch that appeared to make contact with Edwin Espinal’s bat and hand.
Espinal hit the ground. The call originally was a foul ball but after examining Espinal, talking to trainers and hearing lobbying from the Power manager, home plate umpire Kevin Morgan ruled that the ball hit Espinal before it hit the bat, which gave the Power runners on first and second. Keffe argued the change with home plate umpire Kevin Morgan. Johnson, catcher Stuart Levy and shortstop Giovanny Alfonzo voiced displeasure with another member of the umpiring crew.
After pitching coach Frank Viola made a visit to the mound and talked to Johnson andLevy, Johnson got down to business and got the third out by fanning Olmo Rosario, the third stroke coming on a check swing call.
“This year I learned a lot watching the older guys play,” said Johnson, who joined the Rockers after exhausting his eligibility this spring at HPU. “I knew that once they changed the call, they weren’t going to change it back. It was something that we were going have to live with and play with. There was some chiring going on. I said, ‘hey fellas, let’s go, I got this.’ They stopped arguing, but their belief in me and we got out of it.
“I got a little angry, felt a little fire and hadn’t felt that much adrenaline in a really long time. So that was good. The competitor came out in me.”
Field’s home run ran Johnson’s record to 3-0.
“We’ve been kidding he’s Johnny Baseball but it’s no joke anymore,” Johnson said. He’s Johnny Baseball and comes up big in the clutch. Good for him, It was a good team win.”
Keefe had complete confidence in Johnson after the controversy.
“One thing you don’t have to worry about is Joe Johnson,” Keefe said.”He contains himself very well. He gets fiery but keeps it inside. He knows what to do on the mound.”
Johnson was the third pitcher used by the Rockers. Craig Stem started, gave up two runs in the first, settled down and lasted through the seventh. Jonathan Crawford worked the eighth, escaping a bases-loaded jam with two strikeouts.
Johnson didn’t think he would get a chance to pitch when others in the bullpen started throwing around the seventh inning.
“When some of the back of the bullpen guys started getting loose, I didn’t think I was going in,” Johnson said. “But, then just like that, they wanted me to start getting loose and we see what happened.’
High Point scored its first run on a bases-loaded walk in the second and drew even at 2-2 in the third on Jerry Downs’ RBI triple that scored Michael Russell.
The series ends Sunday and High Point goes to West Virginia for four games in three days beginning Tuesday.
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