Starling Peralta sterling for the Cougars
Starling Peralta took a no-hitter into the top of the sixth, eventually leaving after 52⁄3 scoreless innings of 1-hit ball as the Kane County Cougars blanked the Burlington Bees 7-0 in front of 10,238 at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva on Thursday.
Peralta (2-0) has not allowed a run in 132⁄3 innings since joining the Cougars (47-64, 17-28). The first hit off Peralta, who walked five, came when Pedro Toribio led off the sixth with a single for the Bees (44-67, 18-28). Relievers Justin Amlung and Nathan Dorris preserved the shutout.
In the Cougars’ second, Rock Shoulders walked with one out and scored on a double by Giuseppe Papaccio. In the third, Reggie Golden and Gioskar Amaya walked and Dan Vogelbach blasted a 3-run homer. In the fifth, Oliver Zapata reached on a bunt single and later scored on Carlos Escobar’s single before Jose Dore delivered a 2 run homer.
The Cougars host the Bees in the finale of their three-game series today at 6:30 p.m. when right-hander Tyler Skulina (0-1) starts against the Bees’ Daniel Hurtado (1-1).