Panthersville, GA – Keegan Rich threw a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader to highlight the Atlanta Blues 6-4 (7) and 4-0 (6) sweep of the Alpharetta Aviators at the GSU Baseball Complex on Sunday afternoon.

Making his second start of the season, Rich (1-0) dominated in all six innings of the rain-shortened contest for Atlanta (8-12), allowing no hits with a phenomenal 14 strikeouts to achieve the first no-hitter in Blues history. The left-hander from Georgia State took a perfect game into the fifth before allowing his first baserunner on an error on a dropped third strike.

Payton Chace Boines went 2-for-3 to lead Atlanta at the plate in Game One, and Jamarie Brooks went 2-for-3 in Game Two.

Conlon Walker and Emory Guilford each went 2-for-3 for Alpharetta (10-10) in Game One with Walker and Ryan Stephens each adding two RBI

GAME ONE: Atlanta 6, Alpharetta 4 (Seven Innings)

With one out and runners on first and second in the first inning, Payton Chace Boines put the Blues out front with an RBI single. A base-hit by Kam Taylor then loaded the bases for Ashton Seymore, who then hit a two-run single to make it 3-0.

Alpharetta responded with two runs on a base-hit by Ryan Stephens to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top the second. The score remained that way until the third when Samuel Bradley hit a one-out double and scored on another base hit by Boines to make it 4-2. The Blues would then capitalize on a walk, two wild pitches and an error to score two more runs to increase their lead to 6-2.

The Aviators rallied with one run each in the fourth and sixth innings but couldn’t get any closer.

Blues starter Ga’Von Wray pitched four innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits with two strikeouts. Tyler Dushane (1-1) came on to pitch in the fifth and allowed just one run over the next two innings before giving way to Kimani Davis in the seventh. Davis (2) allowed a leadoff single but then retired the next three batters he faced to earn the save.

Braden Morrow pitched three scoreless-relief innings for Alpharetta and allowed just one hit and two walks with a strikeout. Aviator starter Walker Shaw (1-2) took the loss.

GAME TWO: Atlanta 4, Alpharetta 0 (Six Innings)

Atlanta jumped out front quickly in Game Two with two runs each in the first and second innings to back Rich’s no-hitter. DJ Butler led off the first with a double to center field and scored on a double by Jamarie Brooks, who then advanced to third on a flyout and scored on a base-hit by Payton Chace Boines to make it 2-0. Then with one out and runners on first and third in the second inning, a wild pitch brought home one run and moved the other runner to third, setting up a sacrifice fly by Jacobi Brooks to make it 4-0.

Alpharetta starter Benjamin Weiser (1-1) absorbed the loss.

Both teams will return to action on Monday, July 8 at 7:05 p.m. The Blues host the Brookhaven Bucks at the GSU Baseball Complex, and the Aviators host the Atlanta Crackers at Legion Field.