Middleton, Fla. – The Villages High School baseball team notched its third victory of the season Friday night, needing just one run behind Konnor Briggs' 16 strikeouts and 6-1/3 innings of no-hit baseball at the VHS Baseball Stadium.

The junior lefty mowed through the Umatilla lineup in a rematch of last season's district finale, striking out each of the 10 Bulldogs he faced at least once for a 1-0 home win in a combined no-hitter with VHS senior Brady Butts.

"I told the guys when we dropped the game earlier in the week, it's about how you respond," VHS head coach Devin Anderson said afterward. "Obviously, we've got to get the bats going a little better, but, in baseball, if you play clean and throw strikes, you give yourself a chance to win and that's what we did tonight."

After allowing a walk to Umatilla leadoff hitter Keegan St. Amant to open the top of the first, Briggs retired 10 consecutive batters and finished the game on a streak of nine in a row sat down.

Despite scoring in the bottom of the first — a two-out triple by catcher Cameron Russ led to a run on a passed ball — the Buffalo bats struggled throughout the game, as Umatilla junior Nick Sande had a solid outing of his own. But the one run scored in the opening frame was enough to hold up with Briggs' performance on the mound.

"That's the Konnor Briggs that can go out and do that pretty much every night if he has the right mindset and he's locked in," Anderson said. "He was throwing everything in the zone and when he does that, he's going to be tough on anybody."

Briggs exited the game after 6-1/3 hitless innings with a career-high 16 strikeouts and just two walks. Butts closed out the combined no-hitter with a two-out save, as the Buffalo improved to 3-1 on the season.

The Villages will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to Groveland to take on South Lake.


Drew Chaltry can be reached for questions or comment via email at drew.chaltry@tvcs.org.