Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap to the opposing pitcher, especially when he is one of the best in the Lehigh Valley.

Saucon Valley junior Cole Hubert threw a no-hitter against Salisbury in the District 11 3A finals last week, leaving the Falcons as the runner-up. In the opening round of states, Salisbury (19-7) was held to just four hits by three Neumann-Goretti pitchers as the Falcons saw their season come to an end with a 4-0 loss.

Against Saucon Valley (13-10), the Falcons worked a walk in each of the first two innings but could not move the runners along.

Caleb Gonzalez walked with one out in the first and on a hit-and-run, Tom Lovelidge hit a fly ball to right that was caught, and Gonzalez was doubled off first. Austin Spisszak drew a two-out walk in the second, but Hubert got his third strikeout of the inning and fourth of the game to strand Spisszak at first.

Jake Zellin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third, but alertly reached first base when the pitch got away from catcher Zack Male. One out later, Nate Nunez grounded into an inning ending double play, erasing Zellin. From there, Hubert retired 12 of the next 13 hitters, nine of them on strikeouts. The only runner to reach base was Michael Stauffer, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fifth.

Hubert issued just two walks and struck out 14 hitters, needing 96 pitches to throw the complete game.

“He’s really good and he has shown that all year,” said Salisbury head coach Justin Aungst after the loss. “I’m proud of these guys because we battled, but at the end of the day, you just have to tip your cap to a guy like that.”

In addition to his pitching, Hubert, who is a Columbia University recruit, also added an RBI single in the top of the first and tripled to drive in a run and then scored in the third.

Lovelidge started for Salisbury and was charged with four earned runs on five hits in six innings, also throwing 96 pitches. Lovelidge struck out eight batters. Andrew Grejda came on in relief of Dominic Gracia with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. Grejda allowed a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-0 Panthers lead before he got the final out of the inning.

The loss still allowed Salisbury to qualify for the PIAA tournament but sent them on the road to Wyndmoor to face Newmann-Goretti in the opening round.

The Saints scored single runs in four different innings and picked up a 4-0 win to eliminate the Falcons. Jacob Bucchin went 3-for-3 in the game for Salisbury and Spisszak had the only other hit for the Falcons against three Saints pitchers who combined to throw 103 pitches.

Spisszak allowed three earned runs in five innings and Lovelidge pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth for Salisbury.

Saucon Valley became the darlings of the 3A district playoffs as Hubert pitched them to wins over top-seeded Northwestern Lehigh in the semifinals and the win over the second-seeded Falcons in the district championship.

Hubert’s postseason domination tour ended when Trinity traveled to Hellertown and beat the Panthers 4-3 in the opening round of states.

“We can be proud of the fact that we made it to the district final game and are going to states,” said Aungst after the loss to Saucon Valley. “I know that not a lot of people had belief in us that we could do this, so it’s nice to prove that we could and that the program is up and coming.”