GAINESVILLE — Dalton Kyle drove in AJ Smallwood in the bottom of the eighth inning for the game-winning run to lift Gainesville to a thrilling, 4-3 come-from-behind win over Flowery Branch on Thursday at Ivey-Watson Field.
Banks Griffith pitched the final two innings in relief to earn the win for the Red Elephans.
Gainesville (10-2) took the first lead with a run in the second. But the Falcons (6-6) responded to take a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. The Red Elephants charged back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and the game stayed tied at 3-3 until the eighth inning.
Gainesville pounded out nine hits, while Fowery Branch had seven. The teams had a sloppy day in the field combining for six errors.
Kyle, Ross Tipton, and Cameron Wilson each had two hits to lead Gainesville. Jared Smith, Charlie Wall, and Kyle York each had one hit for the Red Elephants.
Anthony Grutadaurio had two hits and one RBI to lead the Falcons. Sean Akins had two hts and Dalton Strickland, AJ Gonzalez, and Blake Decker had one hit apiece for Flowery Branch.
John Sewell went six strong innings for Flowery Branch, allowing six hits and just two earned runs while striking out three. Andrew Armstrong took the hard-luck loss, going 1 1/2 innings, walking two and yielding three hits and a run.
Collier Scott started and went 3 innings for Gainesville, scattering two hits and three walks and striking out two. Smallwood also went 3 innings, allowing three runs, only one earned, on four hits and two walks for the Red Elephants.
The two teams will meet again on Saturday at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville at 4 p.m..
