GALLIPOLIS - Gallia Academy used a four-run sixth inning to knock off the last unbeaten high school baseball team the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League South Division.

And in the process, the defending champion Blue Devils moved back into first.

Behind a complete game from pitcher Nick Stevens and some timely hits in the late innings, Gallia Academy earned a 5-2 victory over the visiting Portsmouth Trojans on Wednesday.

Coach Rich Corvin's team improved to 3-1 in the SEOAL, pulling even in the loss column with the rest of the one-loss teams in the South. It was the Gallians' third straight win overall as they are now 5-2 on the young season.

Portsmouth fell to 3-4 overall and 2-1 against the SEOAL. The Trojans do own a win over Chillicothe, the only league team to beat the Blue Devils thus far.

The Blue and White struggled offensively early, as it had just one run and three hits trough the first five innings. That lone run came after Austin Roush was hit by a pitch, stole second, then went to third on a passed ball and scored on a throwing error.

Luckily for the Blue Devils, the bats started to come around in the sixth frame, just in time to rally from a 2-1 deficit and pull out a key league victory.

Shawn Thompson started the inning by reaching on an error, the walks to Kyle Dingess and Brett Bowman loaded the bases. John Paul Finnicum was hit by a pitch to force in the tying run, then Stevens singled in the go-ahead tally.

Austin King drew a base on balls to force in the Blue Devils' first insurance run, then Rumley finished off the scoring with an RBI single.

Stevens finished off the Trojans in the top of the seventh and Gallia Academy celebrated a huge South Division win. Stevens scattered nine hits, struck out four and walked three on the mound.

Steve Taylor, the Portsmouth starter, was tagged with the loss after surrendering four runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Stevens helped his own cause by going 2-for-4 at the plate. Finnicum and Rumley added singles and King hit a double as the Devils amassed just five hits total.

Jayson Jones went 3-for-3 for Portsmouth and John Harcha added two hits, including a triple. John Walker and Aaron Lacy drove in the Trojans' runs in the third and fourth innings.

Gallia Academy begins the second of three rounds through the South Division when it goes to Ironton on Friday.

GALLIA ACADEMY 5,

PORTSMOUTH 2

Portsmouth 001 100 0 - 2 9 4

Gallipolis 010 004 x - 5 5 0

Steve Taylor, Matt Harcha (6) and Howard Harcha. Nick Stevens and David Rumley. WP - Stevens. LP - Harcha.