WAVERLY — Gallia Academy baseball needed a little magic to get past Athens on Monday to reach the Division II sectional final against host Waverly.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, the magic didn’t follow on Friday during a 7-1 setback to the top-seeded Tigers in Pike County.

The Devils (13-10) mustered only three hits in the contest, half of the number of safeties that the hosts produced in the triumph.

But things were going well early on, as both teams battled through two innings — only to remain scoreless.

Then in the bottom of the third, everything fell apart for the fourth-seeded guests.

WHS plated six runs in that pivotal frame, which helped the hosts establish a lead it would never relinquish.

Waverly added another run in the fourth, which increased its advantage to seven runs after four complete.

The lone GAHS offensive breakthrough came in the sixth as the guests ended Waverly’s no-hit bid with singles by Beau Whaley and Ian Dressel, which allowed Whaley to score and make it a 7-1 deficit.

Chuck Calvert also had a pinch-hit single in the seventh, but the Devils were not able to do any more damage in the setback.

Ryan Robertson was masterful in the winning decision, allowing only three hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out eight.

John Troester took the loss for GAHS, allowing six runs, four hits and a walk over 2.1 innings of work.

Kruize Wandling finished for the guests in relief, working 3.2 innings on the mound.

It was the final game in the Blue and White for seniors Whaley, Dressel, Brett Bowman, Austin Roush and Clint Saunders.

Waverly 7, Gallia Academy 1

Gallipolis 000 001 0 — 1 3 2

Waverly 006 100 x — 7 6 2

WP — Robertson; LP — Troester.