Former Gamecock Michael Roth Throws Two-Hitter, Round Rock Wins 7-0
ROUND ROCK, Texas (Express) — LHP Michael Roth (7-3, 2.66) carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning as the Round Rock Express (40-36) picked up a dominant 7-0 win over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (36-38) Sunday night at Dell Diamond. Roth was a third-inning walk and a fourth inning fielding error away from perfection before Sky Sox C Josmil Pinto recorded a one-out triple in the top of the eighth inning.
Roth worked around the late hit to record his first career complete game shutout, as well as this third career complete game. The lefty previously dealt a five-inning complete game on June 18, 2015 with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers before the contest was called due to rain. He also went the full nine innings on July 9, 2015 with the Clippers.
The 26-year-old finished the day having allowed just two base hits and one walk while striking out three in the winning performance. Roth finished the game on 102 total pitches, including 63 strikes. For the visitors, starter RHP Wily Peralta (0-2, 10.97) took the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits in four innings of work. The righty struck out four Express hitters and walked two.
Round Rock opened the scoring in the fourth inning as C Brett Nicholas launched a solo home run that sailed over the visitor’s bullpen in right field. The E-Train kept rolling ahead in the fifth as SS Hanser Alberto singled before LF Kyle Kubitza and walked. 2B Doug Bernier followed up by beating out a sacrifice bunt that loaded the bases. A Drew Robinson walk then doubled the E-Train lead to 2-0. With LHP Sam Freeman on to relieve Peralta, RF James Jones doubled down the left field line to plate two runs, extending the lead to 4-0. Freeman recovered to strike out 1B Joey Gallo and CF Jared Hoying to end the threat.
The Express then added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Gallo opened the frame with a triple before Hoying doubled home his first baseman. In the next at-bat, Alberto stepped to the plate and demolished a 2-2 pitch, sending the helpless baseball crashing into the left field berm, pushing the lead to 7-0.
Roth faced little difficulty en route to his complete game shutout. The lefty’s highest pitch count in any single frame was 16, which occurred in the fateful eighth inning. He needed just nine pitches to retire the side in both the sixth and seventh. Additionally, Roth never faced more than four hitters in a single frame.
Round Rock looks to build off the momentum of tonight’s performance in game three against Colorado Springs on Monday night. RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (0-1, 6.48) will get the ball for the Express while LHP Josh Hader (0-2, 6.00) is set to start for the Sky Sox.
