Roth still unbeaten despite rainy weather

June 30, 2019 at 12:05a.m.

Wibert, Orwell key

win over Knightline

STRUTHERS

Slowly and methodically, Roth Brothers of the local Class B league has navigated Mother Nature and her multiple downpours to assert itself at this year’s Bob Cene Memorial Baseball Tournament.

Playing solid defense while scoring a bevy of runs will assuredly get your team noticed.

After spotting Knightline Embroidery a 2-0 first-inning lead, Roth Brothers scored five runs in the second frame and never looked back as they posted a 10-5 win to open Saturday’s action at Cene Park.

With the win, Roth (3-0) remained undefeated in pool play with a night game against Midwest Ironbirds looming, weather permitting.

Adam Wibert allowed three runs and scattered five hits in 5 2/3 innings of work while Jared Orwell had a triple, double, RBI and scored a run for Roth.

“My fastball was working for me, as was my changeup, which has been my go-to pitch of late,” Wibert said. “Last season I struggled with a changeup, but I worked on it the entire offseason and it has been good to me this year.

“It’s really important for us to win and remain undefeated in the tournament. We started the season slow but we’ve gotten better over the last several weeks. We’re making plays and starting to peak.”

Knightline, which suffered its first loss after a win, still has two rain-shortened games that need to be completed. It opened the scoring in the first, taking the early 2-0 lead on three hits that never left the infield along with a double steal.

Run-scoring singles in the second inning by Jared Laczko, Ryan Sullivan and Asher Patton, a fielder’s choice by Brendon Hink and double by Jared Orwell staked Roth Brothers to a 5-2 advantage after two innings, giving them a lead that they would not relinquish the remainder of the game.

They sent nine batters to the plate in both the second and fifth innings.

“It’s easy playing defense when you have a command pitcher like Adam on the mound,” Orwell said. “He allowed a few soft hits in the opening inning but settled down, found the zone and pitched well the rest of the way.

Orwell also tripled in the fifth inning, scoring the first of their four runs in the inning when Christian Gabriel followed with his RBI triple.

“I was just trying to find my pitch early in the count and when I did, I drove it,” he said.

Zach Yaskulka’s single plated Colton Stoneman in the third inning to cut the Knightline deficit to 5-3, but Patton’s infield out in the fourth scored Marshall Wheeler allowing Roth to extend their lead to 6-3.

Roth batted around once again in the fifth inning, using both triples and five walks to extend their lead to 10-3.

“Adam did an excellent job on the hill for us today,” Roth manager Mike Cefalde said. “When he is in control, he is hard to beat and today, except for that first inning, he asserted himself and was in control. Adam can be as good as he wants to be and always rises to the challenge.

“We scored 10 runs but had just seven hits. Timely hitting was the key as we put the ball in play, doing the little things necessary that help you win.”