Staten Island edges High Point 3-2 behind late eighth-inning run

Staten Island got enough from Yuhi Sako and a late push at the plate to edge High Point 3-2 on Tuesday night at SIUH Community Park, opening the six-game set by holding the Rockers to five hits. Pedro Payano worked a clean ninth for his second save, and the FerryHawks moved to 1-3 in the second half.

The FerryHawks struck first in the second inning when they stacked three straight hits and Robby Barham delivered the opening run with a single. High Point answered in the fourth as Luke Napleton doubled into the left-field corner and scored on Ivan Melendez’s single. A passed ball helped Melendez move up, and after an infield error, Nolan Watson brought him home with another single to put the Rockers ahead 2-1.

Staten Island answered immediately in the bottom of the fourth when Nick Decker launched a solo homer to even the game. From there, Sako settled in and controlled the middle innings, allowing two runs over six frames while striking out five and walking one. High Point never found a sustained answer after that fourth-inning burst, and the Rockers finished the night 0-4 in the second half and 29-37 overall.

The deciding run came in the eighth, when Brandon Wagner doubled, Gary Mattis singled him to third, and Lamar Briggs rolled a groundout to second that brought Wagner home. Brandon McCabe then kept the game there by retiring the side over two scoreless relief innings without allowing a baserunner, handing the ninth to Payano. Brayden Matthews allowed only one run over two innings, but the offense could not add to the early rally.

Napleton’s double came one day after he was named the Atlantic League’s Player of the Month for June, after leading the league with 11 homers and 35 RBI. He had also been honored as Player of the Week for June 23-29 on June 30.