GREENSBORO — Longhorn hurler Wood Collins out-dueled Southern Academy ace and UAB signee Sam Kelley Thursday to help Marengo Academy (18-8, 10-1) to an all-important 4-0 region win.

Collins, the Longhorn senior who most often mans third base, pitched a complete game one-hitter that saw three SA batters reach on a walk while striking out nine.

“He pitched great,” Marengo Academy head coach Jonathan Lindsey said. “With us playing so many games in a week, it really helps if starters can go deep in the game. With the type of ball game he threw, we can win a lot games like that.”

Kelly was not his usually dominant self, but managed to subdue Marengo bats for most of the game. Control problems plagued him throughout the game as he issued six walks over seven innings of work, but did manage to match Collins’ strikeout total.

“Sam Kelley is a dominant type pitcher,” Lindsey said. “Last time we played him, he struck out 14 and we still came out with the win. (Thursday), he didn’t have his best stuff. We were able to move some runners around and manufacture some runs.”

The Longhorns struck early, pushing one run across in the first inning before plating another in the third. Marengo finally gave Collins some breathing room in the sixth when Christopher Sammons led off the inning with his sixth home run of the year.

“He has been phenomenal,” Lindsey said of the Longhorn backstop. “He is leading the team in RBIs, batting average and home runs. He’s caught every single inning we’ve played this year except one.”

The Longhorns added one more run in the sixth to round out the scoring.

Collins, Weldon Fultz, Michael Martin, Rabe Hale and Jacob Dunn each recorded a single in the game. Fultz, Martin and Matt Etheridge all scored runs while Chase Smyly picked up an RBI. The lone Southern Academy hit came off the bat of Kelley.

Lady Longhorns rout Southern

While their baseball counterparts were taking care of business in a pitcher’s duel, the No. 1 ranked Lady Longhorns (22-3) blasted Southern 17-0. Jessica Brock struck out four over three innings while surrendering one hit and one walk. Brock also went 2-for-2 at the plate. Nicole Langley went 2-for-2 with a triple. Katie Tucker had a double while Destiny Huckabee, Kaleigh Robison, Anna Edmonds and Shelby Mathis each had a single.

Marengo will host Pickens Academy for a double header Tuesday at 4 p.m.