Cannon Ballers press release and staff report

KANNAPOLIS — Seth Keener, Luke Bell and Nick Altermatt combined to toss a nine-inning no-hitter for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in a 6-0 win over the Columbia Fireflies on Saturday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

It was the second no-hitter and the first ever nine-inning no-hitter thrown by the Cannon Ballers. The three Kannapolis hurlers faced only 29 batters.

Connor McCullough threw a seven-inning no-hitter for Kannapolis against the Carolina Mudcats on May 18, 2023, at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the win, Kannapolis halted a four-game losing streak. The Fireflies fell for the first time after five consecutive wins.

Keener, 22, who starred at East Surry High in Pilot Mountain and at Wake Forest University, was a third-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in the 2023 draft. Keener (4-3) struck out seven and walked one in six innings. The right-hander is ranked as the 15th-best prospect in the White Sox farm system.

Bell, 23, struck out three, while working the seventh and eighth innings. He was drafted out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019.

Altermatt, 24, encountered no problems in the ninth. He was a 17th-round pick by the White Sox in 2022 out of Minnesota State.

At the plate, the Cannon Ballers got two-RBI nights from Caden Connor and Ryan Burrowes. Rikuu Nishida had a triple.

The Cannon Ballers have wrapped up a playoff berth by winning their division in the first half.

Fans can purchase tickets for remaining home games at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark.