Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

GALLIPOLIS — It was supposed to be a baseball game. It seemed more like a yo-yo competition.
Coal Grove and Gallipolis saw the lead back-and-forth as it changed hands four times before the Blue Devils held on to beat the Hornets 5-3 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.
Coal Grove got a run in the top of the first inning when Tait Matney, Ben Compliment, Kyle Sites and Nate Harmon all walked to start the game.
Gallipolis tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
Wyatt Sipple and Cole Davis walked and Garrett McGuire had a one-out RBI single.
The Blue Devils went up 2-1in the second when Andrew Toler and Brendan Carter were hit by pitches and Justin McClelland and Davis walked.
The Hornets regained the lead in the fifth when Sites walked and Harmon clubbed a two-run homer.
But Gallipolis took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth.
Trent Johnson was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. An out later, Davis singled and a throwing error on the play scored the tying run.
Josh Faro singled in a run to put the Blue Devils ahead and then McGuire walked and Morgan Stanley singled to produce an insurance run.
Harmon started and went the first five innings for the Hornets. He gave up just three hits, two earned runs, struck out four and walked six.
Malachi Wheeler worked the sixth inning and was the tough-luck loser.
Colton Roe — the fourth Gallipolis pitcher — got the win with three innings of work. He struck out six, walked two, allowed three hits and two runs — both earned.
Coal Grove 100 020 0 = 3 4 1
Gallipolis 110 003 x = 5 6 0
Nate Harmon, Malachi Wheeler (6) and Ben Compliment. Justin McClelland, Andrew Toler (1), Josh Faro (3), Colton Roe (5) and Morgan Stanley. W-Roe (IP-3.0, H-3, R-2, ER-2, K-6, BB-2). McClelland (R-1, ER-1, B-3). Toler (IP-2.0, H-1, K-5, BB-2). Faro (IP-2.0, K-5, BB-1). L-Wheeler (IP-1.0, H-3, R-3, ER-3, K-1, BB-1). Harmon (IP-5.0, H-3, R-2, ER-2, K-4, BB-6). Hitting-CG: Kyle Sites 1-2, Nate Harmon 1-2 HR 3-rbi, Xander Keaton 1-4, Christian Workman 1-3; Gallia: Wyatt Sipple 1-3 3B, Cole Davis 1-2, Josh Faro 1-3 rbi, Garrett McGuire 1-3 rbi, Morgan Stanley 1-3 rbi, Andrew Toler 1-2.