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Both Collins and SA sophomore Gavin Comer carried no-hitters into the seventh in a masterful show of pitching. Comer completed his no-hit bid in the top of the inning, but did allow the game’s lone run.

Collins gave up his only hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh — strangely enough, to Comer on a blooper to right field — but fanned the next batter to complete his sterling effort. He allowed three walks.

“I had a lot of confidence going through the game,� said Collins, who just missed out on his first varsity no-hit performance. “They were behind on the fastball, so I was just reading their swings and stuff, seeing what they couldn’t hit and sticking with it the whole game.�

Comer retired the first two batters for Cabell Midland (17-7) to start the top of the seventh before issuing walks to both Aden McCormill and Ben Fulks. Cade Johnson then smacked a grounder to shortstop, but the throw to second for the attempted force to end the inning was wide, permitting pinch-runner Andrew LaFon to scamper home with the game’s only tally.

It marked the lone error in a game that lasted just 75 minutes and featured some sharp defensive plays on both sides, especially by SA center fielder Tyler Richardson and third baseman Noah Reed.

“They made some great plays on defense against us,� Midland coach Tracy Brumfield said. “That was a heck of a game. That’s the fastest game I’ve ever been involved in. Both kids threw well. They’ve got a great team, and we’ll see them again. We told our kids just to stick with it.�

Before their score in the seventh, the Knights got a runner to second just twice against Comer, who ended up with four K’s, three bases on balls and two putouts.

St. Albans coach Rick Whitman said Wednesday’s game was a first for him in one respect.

“Twenty-seven years [of coaching] and I’ve never had a team throw a no-hitter and lose,� Whitman said. “It was a tough play [on the error], and we probably should have went to first with it, and if he’s safe, he’s safe.

“Bottom of the seventh, two outs and neither team had a hit. Neither team had many walks. They’re a good team and we’re a good team. It was a good high school baseball game. We’ve just got to find a way to score a run, and we didn’t do that.�

The Red Dragons (16-5) got a runner to third with one out in the bottom of the fourth when Brogan Samms walked, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Collins, though, fanned the next two batters to protect the scoreless game. SA also had a runner at second in both the sixth and seventh.

“We had opportunities with runners in scoring position,� Whitman said. “We just couldn’t get key hits. Their guy [Collins] is obviously real good. I thought we played good defense. I thought my little sophomore [Comer] threw the ball really, really well — I don’t know how you’d throw it much better with a no-hitter. But just a weird game as far as it went. Unlike any game I’ve ever been part of.

“That was a postseason-type game — good pitching, good defense, low-scoring. Got to find a way to scratch a few runs across. Got to find a way to get a timely hit or score a run, and we didn’t tonight. Just take it and learn from it. We’ve got two weeks to figure it out [until sectionals start].�

The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for St. Albans.

“Our bats have been great all season, and they were last year, too,� Collins said. “I had a lot of trust in our bats to come through. It ended up we didn’t get a hit, but we did what we could.�

Both teams figure to earn spots in the championship semifinals of the Mountain State Athletic Conference tournament set for Monday and Tuesday at GoMart Ballpark in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä.

CABELL MIDLAND 000 000 1 — 1 0 0

ST. ALBANS 000 000 0 — 0 1 1

Collins and Samuel; Comer and Kelley.

Hitting: (SA) Comer 1-3.