RICHMOND — The Edison baseball team missed out on its share of opportunities against River View, however, the Wildcats came through in the clutch against the Black Bears.

Trailing by a run, Edison responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth and another in the seventh to rally and defeat River View, 2-1, Friday evening out at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.

“We did find a way,” Edison (17-8) head coach Mike Collopy said. “First of all, River View played an outstanding game defensively. Their pitcher kept us off-balance. It wasn’t our best game, but we found a way to get the job done. At this time of the year, you have to find a way to get the job done, and we were able to do that. We just kept playing and kept playing. Then in the late innings, we were able to come through when it mattered.”

With the score deadlocked at 1, Bryce Rogers doubled to centerfield with one out in the seventh, and he scored on a single to left by Santino Auteri to give the hosts the thrilling victory.

The run made a winner out of pitcher Kyle Long, who threw a no-hitter. Long struck out four while walking four en route to the victory. The no-hitter was the first for the Wildcats sent Bryce Rogers pitched a no-hitter against East Liverpool in the season opener last season.

“He’s a great human being,” Collopy said about Long. “He was raised correctly. He is a hard worker. He has an elite level work ethic and that will serve well as he goes on to play college baseball. I don’t know now if in my career if we have had a player finish in the top 15 in his class. Kyle is a smart young man. I have two daughters, but if I had a son, I would want him to be just like him.

“I would want him to be like the seniors in general. They were raised correctly. If you talk all of their GPAs and divided it by two, theirs would be much better than mine when I was in high school. They are going to be successful in whatever the decide to do whether that is playing college baseball or going into the workforce.

“Nolan Haught is going to be an engineer. Bryce Rogers, Evan Kimmerle, Chase Freeman, Kyle Long, Brady Haught and JD Henderson are all going to go on and play college baseball. Clayton Bokunevitz is going to nursing school, and Connor Watson is not sure if he is going to go to join the workforce or go to college. All the seniors are a pleasure to be around. They are great kids. I have said less this season than any other season.

“Your player-led teams are always your best teams. The kids hold each other accountable. All I have to worry about is coaching. You want to have a program like that.

“Our seniors are great leaders. They’re coachable. You just have to coach the team. The kids are all different. Some are quiet leaders, some are vocal leaders and some lead by example.”

The visitors scored an unearned run in the first and a major opportunity to score again in the seventh as they had the bases loaded with one out, however, Long was able to bear down and escape the inning unscathed thanks to a strikeout and a flyout setting the stage for his team’s offensive heroics.

“Nolan made a really-good play,” Collopy said. “We gave them some opportunities. We made some physical mistakes, but we will live with those. We don’t want to make mental mistakes, and we didn’t make mental mistakes. We want to continue to be sharp.”

Clark Frischen took the loss for the boys from Coshocton County. Frischen finished his brief relief outing with one strikeout while not walking a batter. Brogan Shrimplin started the game on the mound for River View, and he pitched the first six innings. He struck out three while walking one before giving way to Frischen in the seventh.

Down 1-0, JD Henderson singled to left to lead off the inning for Edison. Henderson stole second and advanced to third on a dropped third strike before scoring the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly to right by Evan Kimmerle.

Henderson made his return to the field May 7 against Carrollton after missing all of the previous games after tearing his ACL in the second quarter of Edison’s football game Sept. 19 down at Caldwell. Henderson’s return has been big for the Wildcats.

“Absolutely, it is great to see him back on the field,” Collopy said. “It has given us a big shot in the arm. It is crazy how life turns out. He would have been a four-year starter at catcher for us. We have had three-year starters at catcher, but I have not had a four-year starter. I would talk to him and I would give him my perspective, but I couldn’t tell him how he should feel because I am not him.

“He worked his butt off. He went through the physical therapy, and he was able to make it back. He wants to do well. He wants to please people. It is tough when kids are injured.”

The Silver-and-Black collected six hits in the win – two of which went for extra bases. Individually, Long delivered a double while Nolan Haught singled.

The Black Bears struck first in the first to take an early 1-0 lead. Reid Johnson led off the game by drawing a walk, and he advanced to second when Maguire Werntz was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Blaze Klein then hit into a fielder’s choice, however, Johnson scored on an error on the play to make it, 1-0, while Werntz was safe at second. With two runners on, Long induced a groundball double play before retiring the side on a strikeout.

Edison is scheduled to play West Holmes in an Ohio Division IV Eastern District 1 Quarterfinal at 5 p.m. Tuesday at home. The Wildcats are the No. 3 seed in the tournament, while the Knights are the No. 12 seed.

“Our seniors are amazing,” Collopy said. “They’re similar in that they are all great kids. Being around them is really enjoyable. They are great. This season has been a lot of fun. They were raised right. As a coach, there is only so much you can do, but that is a credit to the folks at home.”

River View is slated to play Martins Ferry in an Ohio Division V Eastern District 1 Quarterfinal at 5 p.m. Tuesday on the road. The Purple Riders are the No. 5 seed while the Black Bears are the No. 12 seed.

Edison 2, River View 1

River View 100 000 0 – 1 0 0

Edison 000 001 1 – 1 6 1

RIVER VIEW (7-13): Shrimplin (6IP, 3K, 1BB), Frischen LP(1/3IP, 1K, BB) and Klein.

EDISON (17-8): K. Long WP (7IP, 4K, 4BB) and Kimmerle. N. Haught S; Henderson S; K. Long D; Kimmerle S, RBI; Rogers D; Auter S, RBI.