GAINESVILLE — Not wanting to kill the momentum created by last week’s much-needed sweep of Habersham Central in a key Region 8-AAAAAA series, Gainesville found a way to hold off a scrappy Lanier squad Tuesday to sweep an impromptu doubleheader at Ivey-Watson Field.
The Red Elephants rallied from behind in both games for 4-3 and 3-2 victories.
The first game was rescheduled from Monday’s rainout and the two teams decided to play a second game to offset any possible problems with Wednesday’s projected rainy forecast.
Collier Scott was solid in the first game going six innings and allowing two runs to get the win. AJ Smallwood got the win in relief in the second game.
In both games Lanier jumped out to first inning leads. But the Gainesville offense was able to find just enough to stage the comeback.
It was a big sweep for the Red Elephants (15-6, 5-3 Region 8-AAAAAA) who have won five straight and are trying to keep pace for second place in the region. For Lanier (5-16, 1-7) it continued a frustrating season. The Longhorns have lost 10 games by three runs or less and six by just one run, including four in region play.
The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Friday at Ivey-Watson.
Game 1
Lanier jumped on Collier Scott in the first. Noah Fritz doubled to left, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a RBI groundout y Nick Tanner for a 1-0 lead.
The Red Elephants in the bottom of the first when Banks Griffith walked to lead off and then scored on a Jared Smith’s RBI double to center to tie the game at 1.
Scott settled down after that. He struck out the side in the second and retired 11 straight through the fourth inning. Lanier starter Parker Marcantel worked out of a jam in the second but the Gainesville got to him in the third.
In the second Charlie Wall and AJ Smallwood coaxed consecutive walks to open the inning and Dalton Kyle singled with one out to load the bases. But Marcantel fanned Corbin Lindsay and got Griffith to ground into a fielder’s choice to get out of the jam.
In the third Cameron Wilson doubled to start and moved to third on a wild pitch. Scott and Smith followed walks to load the bases again, this time with no outs. Wall drove in Wilson with a sacrifice fly and after stolen bases by Scott and Smith, Smallwood drove in both with a RBI single to right to push the lead to 4-1. Marcantel was relieved by Zach Murray, who fanned Ross Tipton and Kyle to get the Longhorns out of the mess with no further damage.
Despite the 4-1 lead, Gainesville had chances to blow it open early on but was just 2-for-8 with RISP through the first three innings.
Murray gave the Longhorns a chance to climb back into the game. He retired the first five Gainesville batters he faced and 10 of 13 overall to close out the game.
Scott’s streak ended with a one-out walk to Tanner in the fourth. He moved to third on an errant pick off throw and a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lawson Baweja to cut the lead to 4-2.
Scott would retire the next six Longhorns after the walk to Tanner but Lanier continued to chip away. The Longhorns plated one run in the sixth to pull within 4-3 on a RBI single by Tanner scoring Chase Smith.
Griffith came on in the seventh and allowed a lead-off single to Baweja, who eventually moved around to third with two out. But Griffith got Chase Coursey to swing at a third strike in the dirt and Smith threw him out at first to end the game.
Game 2
In the second game Lanier touched Gainesville starter Jared Smith for two runs in the first inning. It would stay that way until the third.
The Red Elephants finally broke through for a run and then took a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the fourth.
Neither team could break through the rest of the way.
Gainesville finished with five hits with Collier Scott, Kyle York, and Cale Conley each collecting one RBI in the game.
