Box Score

AHUNTSIC, Que -- Rocky Hroch of Temecula, Calif., tossed a no-hitter as McGill walloped the Université de Montréal 13-1 in a Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule on Friday at Ahuntsic Park in north-end Montreal.

It was the second no-hitter in McGill baseball history dating back to Oct. 23, 2006 when sophomore Michael Tomasetta pitched a rain-shortened six-inning gem as McGill hammered Dalhousie 8-0 to capture the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association championship in Nepean, Ont.

Hroch, a six-foot, 165-pound right-hander, allowed no earned runs, struck out six and walked two. The 20-year-old international management junior induced Vincent Dion to ground out for the final out of the game. He threw 65 pitches -- 44 of them for strikes -- and registered nine ground ball outs in addition to only one fly ball.

"I tried not to think about the no-hitter until after the last play," said Hroch, who admitted that he shook off the final pitch called by catcher Christopher Stanford. "I ended up throwing a fastball up and away. (Dion) hit a ground ball up the middle and (shortstop) Louis-Xavier Labrosse made the play.

"My fastball and curveball were working nice, especially my curve, which felt really good," added Roach, who revealed that his pre-game meal was some home-made chicken cooked in a crockpot and also decided just before the game to wear his American flag socks instead of the usual McGill reds. "The infield had my back tonight. I had a lot of ground balls and they made some good plays behind me."

The Redmen collected 14 hits, four of them for extra bases. Leading the offence with three hits apiece was Gabriel Hamilton and Alexander Levis. Hamilton went 3-for-4 at the plate with five RBIs and three runs scored. He hit an RBI-double to left-field in the fourth and a three-run homer to left in the final inning. Levis, who was batting second in the order, was 3-for-4 and crossed home plate three times.

McGill led 1-0 after the first inning, added four in the top of the third, five in the fourth and three more in the fifth before the contest was halted.

Starter Vincent Ally couldn't get it done on the mound for UdeM, taking the loss. He allowed nine runs in three innings, walked four, hit one batter, struck out three and threw four wild pitches.

The Carabins, who dropped to 3-6, travel to the nation's capital on Sept. 24 for a doubleheader against Carleton (4-5). McGill, the two-time defending national champs, improved to 10-1 and have a healthy five-game lead atop the CCBA Northern Division standings with five games remaining before playoffs. They will play an exhibition doubleheader against College Lafleche in Trois-Rivieres on Sept. 24 before resuming league play against Concordia (4-4) on Sept. 26 at Gary Carter Field in Cote St. Luc.

(SEE LINK TO BOXSCORE ABOVE)

REDMEN RAP: The McGill schedule has changed as the playoff dates were recently pushed ahead one week later. The doubleheader at Carleton scheduled for Oct. 2 has been moved to Oct. 8 and the Redmen will now play a tripleheader at the Plattsburgh State fall tournament on Oct. 1. See complete McGill schedule online.


SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
McGill Sports Info Office
(514) 398-7012