HIGH POINT, N.C. — The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs claimed a narrow 5-4 victory over the High Point Rockers on Sept. 3, 2025, at Truist Point, keeping their faint playoff hopes alive in the Atlantic League’s South Division. Sam Dexter’s RBI single in the eighth inning broke a 4-4 tie, allowing the Blue Crabs to snap a three-game skid and improve to 61-52 overall and 25-25 in the second half. The loss dropped the Rockers to 67-46 and 26-24 in the second half, leaving them three games behind division-leading Gastonia with 13 games remaining in the regular season.
The game, which started at 6:37 p.m. under mostly sunny skies with temperatures at 77 degrees, lasted 2 hours and 32 minutes before a crowd of 1,169. Cody Thompson earned the win for Southern Maryland, pitching two hitless innings with two strikeouts to improve to 4-6. Endrys Briceño secured his fifth save by retiring the Rockers in order in the ninth. Cam Cotter took the loss for High Point, allowing one run in one inning to fall to 0-1.
Both teams scored in the first inning. Jackson Loftin singled for Southern Maryland and scored on Zack Racusin’s double, putting the Blue Crabs ahead 1-0. High Point answered when Luis Gonzalez led off with a ground-rule double and scored on Ben Aklinski’s single, tying the game at 1-1. The Rockers took a 2-1 lead in the second on Max Viera’s leadoff triple followed by D.J. Burt’s sacrifice fly.
Southern Maryland evened it at 2-2 in the third when Loftin hit a solo home run, his 13th of the season. The Blue Crabs loaded the bases in the fourth against Rockers starter Jake Gilbert, who exited after three innings with three runs allowed on five hits. Reliever Gabe Klobosits permitted a sacrifice fly from Giovanni Digiacomo, giving Southern Maryland a 3-2 edge. High Point starter Jason Blanchard, who pitched four innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, struggled in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Drew Mendoza’s two-run double scored Aidan Brewer and Bryson Parks, putting the Rockers ahead 4-3.
The Blue Crabs tied it in the sixth on Jamari Baylor’s solo home run, his 17th. Southern Maryland’s offense, which collected 11 hits including three doubles and two homers, capitalized in the eighth against Cotter. Alejandro De Aza and Brett Barrera singled, and Baylor reached on a fielder’s choice before Dexter’s single scored Barrera for the go-ahead run. Briceño closed out the game, allowing no hits and striking out one. For High Point, Aklinski and Austin Brewer each had two hits, while Mendoza drove in two runs. The Rockers left eight runners on base and committed one error by Gonzalez.
This win provides a boost for the Blue Crabs, who sit fifth in the South Division after a 25-25 second-half mark. The Atlantic League splits its 126-game season into two halves, with first- and second-half winners advancing to best-of-five division championship series. The division winners then meet in a best-of-five league championship series. Southern Maryland, which reached the championship series in 2009 and 2015, has not made the playoffs since 2019. The team, co-founded by Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, plays at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, drawing strong community support.
The series continues Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point, with High Point’s Erich Uelmen (4-4, 3.49 ERA) facing Southern Maryland’s Shawn Semple (6-6, 3.75 ERA). Fans can watch on FloBaseball.tv or the MixLR app. Thursday’s game features the Rockers’ United Way CANpaign, offering free admission for three non-perishable food items. For Southern Maryland supporters, the victory highlights the team’s resilience in a competitive division. With 13 games left, the Blue Crabs need a strong finish to challenge for a wild-card spot, drawing on their history of late-season surges. The Atlantic League, an MLB partner since 2020, emphasizes innovation like automated ball-strike systems tested in prior seasons, elevating play comparable to Double-A.
The Blue Crabs’ pitching staff, led by Blanchard’s four innings of four-run ball and Thompson’s scoreless relief, showed depth. High Point’s Gilbert allowed three runs in three innings, while Klobosits and Derrick Blair combined for three innings of one run. The Rockers’ bullpen faltered late, with Cotter’s eighth-inning struggles proving costly. Offensively, Southern Maryland’s 11 hits outpaced High Point’s eight, with Dexter’s game-winner capping a rally. This matchup underscores the South Division’s intensity, where Gastonia leads at 29-20 in the second half, followed by High Point at 26-24. Southern Maryland’s 25-25 record keeps them mathematically alive, needing help from rivals to close the gap.
As the Atlantic League heads toward its postseason—best-of-five division series starting Sept. 17, followed by a best-of-five championship—the Blue Crabs’ effort at Truist Point signals potential. For fans in Waldorf, Leonardtown and Prince Frederick, victories like this fuel excitement at Regency Furniture Stadium, where affordable family entertainment and community ties define the experience.
