About the only good news for St. Aloysius was that it finished Friday still with a chance to win the MAIS District 4-5A baseball championship. It’ll just take a lot more work.

Copiah Academy swept the Flashes in a doubleheader, 11-2 and 5-0, to flip the MAIS District 4-5A championship race on its head.

Instead of St. Al (13-8, 4-2 District 4-5A) being in command, it is now tied with Cathedral (13-9, 4-2) for first place heading into a three-game series with the Green Wave next week. The teams will play in Natchez on Tuesday, and a doubleheader at Bazinsky Field in Vicksburg next Friday, April 11.

The winner of the St. Al-Cathedral series will likely be the district champion, but Copiah (6-16-1, 3-3) is lurking a game behind them and could steal the title if it sweeps Adams County Christian School (11-8, 1-5) and St. Al only wins two out of three vs. Cathedral.

The top four teams in each district qualify for the playoffs, so all of the District 4-5A teams are guaranteed a spot.

St. Al beat Copiah 3-2 earlier this week, but didn’t have the juice to win either game Friday in Gallman.

Will Drew had eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings, and Nico Crechale was 2-for-3 with three runs scored as the Colonels won game one of the doubleheader 11-2. Copiah scored in each of the first four innings to take a commanding 10-2 lead and coasted home to the win.

St. Al only had two hits in game one, and its offensive struggles continued in a 5-0 loss in game two. The Flashes had five hits and drew five walks, but left runners on base in every inning. They left the bases loaded in the sixth. They were shut out for the first time this season.

Hayes Gillis was 2-for-3 with one RBI for Copiah. Pitchers Jackson Teasley and Hadley Watts combined on the shutout.

Laken Bradley had two hits for St. Al, and Keller Bradley reached base three times on a walk, single and hit by pitch.