GAINESVILLE -- Jonathan Gettys' arm and Anthony Carrera's bat combined to help keep Gainesville baseball's region title hopes alive -- while perhaps crushing the final hopes for Flowery Branch -- on Monday in Region 8-AAAAA play.
Gettys tossed a complete game one-hitter and also belted a home run to lead the Red Elephants to a 10-0, six inning win over the Falcons at Ivey-Watson Field.
The biggest blast, however, came in the first inning when Carrera cranked a grand slam for a quick 4-0 lead. Michael Curry also hit a home run for Gainesville (18-5, 13-3 Region 8-AAAAA).
"We've got to keep winning; we've got to keep pressure on Loganville, and maybe they'll slip up," said Red Elephants coach Jeremy Kemp, whose team trails only the Red Devils in a neck-and-neck race for the 8-AAAAA crown and has won six of its last seven contests. "We feel like we're starting to build some momentum, but one bad day in the playoffs can send you home, so we've got to keep getting better as we look toward the postseason."
Pitching performances like Gettys' can define the postseason.
The junior was almost untouchable, as he fanned 11 Falcons batters -- Deuce Davidson breaking up his no-hit bid in the sixth inning with a single.
"Jonathan did a great job; we were getting ready to pull him, but he had that no-hitter going," Kemp said. "He was just huge for us today."
Carrera also made his presence known early, as the centerfielder made the most of Gainesville's early offense, cranking a four-run bomb over the fence that also scored Fedrick Cardona, Mikey Gonzalez and Collier Scott (courtesy runner for Caleb Whitenton) for a 4-0 lead that would have been more than enough for Gettys.
"He got us going," Kemp said of Carrera. "That was an impressive hit. It was impressive to see three guys hit home runs today -- especially with that stiff breeze blowing in from the outfield."
Curry's bomb made it 7-0 in the second inning -- after Drew Wright had given Gainesville two more runs in the second with a two-run double. Gettys' blast followed in the third inning.
Gonzalez made it 9-0 in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI that scored Banks Griffith, while Curry wrapped the game with a run-scoring single.
The loss for the Falcons (12-9, 7-8 Region 8-AAAAA) who have lost five straight, puts them 2 1/2 games behind fourth place Salem with three games left.
Flowery Branch will travel to face Winder-Barrow on Tuesday, while Gainesville travels to Apalachee on Wednesday.
