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Parkerburg's Noah Holland trots to first following a four-pitch walk by St. Albans' Brogan Samms, who fired a six-inning no-hitter during the Red Dragons' 10-0 Mountain State Athletic Conference win on Thursday at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — St. Albans junior Brogan Samms was a free pass away from a perfect game here Thursday at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park as the Red Dragons rolled to a 10-0 six-inning Mountain State Athletic Conference victory versus Parkersburg.

The Red Dragons of skipper Rick Whitman scored an unearned run in each of the first two innings versus losing pitcher Gavin Fling (4 IP, 4 BB, 3 SO) and then added four more runs in the third to give Samms plenty of run support.

The right-hander had to settle for his first career no-hitter, which featured 10 punchouts. The only blemish by Samms, who earned first team Class AAA all-state honors in hoops, came via a four-pitch base on balls to Noah Holland with two outs in the second.

“I just kind of lost him, you know, but whatever,” replied Samms when asked about the at-bat. “My defense, the pitchers we have, we wouldn’t be as good if it wasn’t for our defense. Our defense is really good and I wouldn’t have had a no-hitter if it wasn’t for my defense.

“My defense, they’ve been good all year. We’ve been playing great, just these last couple games to build on and get ready for regionals, and play good until regionals start and hopefully we bring it in the playoffs and win a state championship.”

St. Albans junior Brogan Samms, who allowed one walk and had 10 strikeouts, delivers to the plate during his six-inning no-hitter as the Red Dragons handed Parkersburg a 10-0 Mountain State Athletic Conference setback on Thursday at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg’s best chance for a hit came with two away in the last of the fourth when Connor Elkins hit a grounder past third. However, Gavin Comer was able to position himself behind the bag in foul ground, played the final hop and made the long throw across the diamond to just get Elkins.

“I thought Brogan was in command tonight,” admitted Whitman. “Obviously locating his fastball for his slider, which was really good tonight. We made a few plays for him.

“I thought we swung the bat really well. Even some of our outs were hit really hard, just right at them. It was a good day. We got to keep it going.”

Braxton Burke opened the game by reaching on an error and scored the only run the Red Dragons ended up needing when Samms, who went 3 for 4 with a pair of steals, knocked him in with a run-scoring single.

Another Big Red error put the hosts behind 2-0 after two as Jonah Carte singled and scored on Gavin Grigsby’s RBI fielder’s choice.

Parkersburg catcher Chaz Elam and pitcher Gavin Fling have a brief discussion during the Big Reds' 10-0 six-inning Mountain State Athletic Conference setback to St. Albans on Thursday at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

St. Albans, which improved to 22-5 and entertains Chapmanville at 6 p.m. today for senior night, sent 10 batters to the plate in the third as the Big Reds also made their third error. Three walks by Fling turned into runs as Comer crossed on an error, while Chance Campbell and courtesy runner Devon Hatfield scored on Mason Bledsoe’s two-run single. Grigsby got the final run-batted-in on a perfectly placed bunt single that went all the way down the third-base line, but managed to stay fair.

Samms, who struck out the side in the fourth, doubled in the top of the fourth and scored after stealing third thanks to catcher Kayden Riggan’s sacrifice fly.

Big Red relief pitcher Landon Allman kept the Red Dragons off the board in the fifth, but gave up three runs in the sixth. A one-out single by Samms was followed by a two-run bomb to left by Campbell. SAHS was able to position itself for the mercy rule win after Riggan singled and his courtesy runner Hatfield came home on pinch-hitter Gavin Mynes’ RBI two-bagger to center. PHS was able to get out of the inning thanks to a 6-4-3 double play.

“We just need to get back to playing baseball like we can,” admitted PHS head man Alan Burns, whose 13-13 program plays host at 6 p.m. today to Marietta for senior night. “Ever since last weekend we haven’t played good. We didn’t play well up at Lewis County. We didn’t play well last night (at Warren) and then tonight, you know, we got shut down.

“This time it was to a good team. In my opinion, they are the best team in the state right now.

St. Albans' Chance Campbell is congratulated by teammates Brogan Samms (11) and Kayden Riggan (5) following his two-run homer in the sixth inning of the Red Dragons' 10-0 Mountain State Athletic Conference victory versus Parkersburg on Thursday at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

They have three solid pitchers. We saw one of them tonight. He did a heck of a job. We just didn’t compete well at the plate. We hit some solid balls. We just got to get back to playing our kind of baseball and get some confidence back. Right now, they are a little bit low.”

The Red Dragons could’ve done more damage, but left nine runners stranded.

“Our mentality is we still want that one seed in our region so we got to keep winning games,” added Whitman, who got a pair of stolen bases from center fielder and No. 9 hitter Brayden Smith. “Every game matters.

“That’s one good thing about the new format, your whole body of work up until we get the ballots means something and our region isn’t easy. Hopefully we can get the one or the two seed and have all of our games at home, and play our best baseball at regionals.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

St. Albans 10, Parkersburg 0 (6 inn.)

WP: Brogan Samms 6IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 10SO

LP: Gavin Fling 4IP, 5H, 7R, 4ER, 4BB, 3SO

Landon Allman 2IP, 4H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 1SO

St. Albans (22-5) hitting: Braxton Burke R; Gavin Comer R, 2 SB; Samms 3-4, 2 R, 2 SB, 2B, RBI; Chance Campbell 1-3, 2 R, SB, two-run HR, 2 RBIs; Kayden Riggan 1-3 RBI; Devon Hatfield 2 R; Jonah Carte 1-2, 2 R; Mason Bledsoe 1-3, 2 RBIs; Gavin Mynes 1-2, 2B, RBI; Gavin Grigsby 1-4 SB, 2 RBIs; Brayden Smith 2 SB

Next games: Chapmanville at St. Albans, 6 p.m. today (senior night); Marietta at Parkersburg, 6 p.m. today (senior night)