GAINESVILLE -- A gloomy sky and misty rain could have been a telling omen for the Gainesville baseball team Monday.
The Red Elephants were coming off a tough loss to Loganville and faced a must-win scenario in the two teams’ return Region 8-AAAAA matchup at Ivey-Watson Field. They didn’t let the rain ruin they’re parade, however.
The two teams battled through four brief rain delays to repair the field before Gainesville came away with a messy 7-2 victory that was called after the top of the sixth inning.
Senior Caleb Whitenton went five innings allowing just three hits and two runs to improve to 5-1 on the season. He walked three, fanned nine, and did not hit a batter in what was a rain shower the entire game. In comparison, three Loganville pitchers hit seven Gainesville batters, with three coming around to score.
“Caleb did a great job out there,” Gainesville coach Jeremy Kemp said. “We needed him to step up and he did. I don’t know how he didn’t hit anyone but I guess it just shows he was focused out there.”
The win pulled the Red Elephants (13-4, 8-2 Region 8-AAAAA) into a tie for first place with the Red Devils (13-4, 8-2) and they will travel to take on third-place Winder-Barrow on Wednesday to start a two-game series.
Whitenton also set the tone early with a monster two-run home run in a three-run first inning for the Red Elephants. They had more hits in the opening inning (4) than they managed the entire game (2) in a 2-0 loss to the Red Devils on Friday.
“We talked about how big this game was and the guys came out ready,” Kemp said. “It was a huge win. It puts us right back in the (region title) race.”
Whitenton struck out two Loganville batters in the top of the first and then helped Gainesville take the lead quickly.
The Red Elephants wasted little time in jumping on Loganville starter Drew Franklin in the first inning. Banks Griffith singled to center with one out and Michael Curry followed with a line double down the right field line scoring Griffith from first for 1-0 lead. Two pitches later Whitenton exploded for his bomb to center for a 3-0 lead.
The Red Elephants had a chance to blow the game open in the third. Curry walked, Whitenton was hit by a pitch, and Anthony Carrera singled to left off reliever Lucas Cloud to load the bases with no one out. However, Jonathan Gettys struck out and Mikey Gonzalez popped up, but Curry would score on a wild pitch. Sewell struck out to end the inning with just the one run for a 4-0 lead.
Whitenton saw his no-hitter and shutout end in the fourth. Jonathan Lee doubled to lead off and one-out later Timothy Elliott belted a two-run home run to left to cut the lead to 4-2.
In the bottom of the inning the Red Elephants again looked poised to blow things open loading the bases on a pair of hit batters and a walk to Whitenton with two outs. Carrera walked to drive in a run for a 5-2 lead but they could get no more.
Whitenton found himself in trouble again in the fifth walking one batter and allowing a hit to David Chabut with one out. But he fanned Rhett Mixon and got Lee to line out to a diving Sewell in centerfield to end the threat with a 5-2 lead.
That would be the final inning for Whitenton.
Gainesville answered back again in the bottom of the inning. Cloud hit Gonzalez, Drew Wright, and Cardona to load the bases and was replaced by Ryan English. Courtesy-runner Jared Smith scored on a wild pitch and Curry knocked one in on an infield hit to push the lead to 7-2.
Gonzalez replaced Whitenton to start the sixth and got out of a bases loaded jam with two outs on a fielder’s choice to close out the win.
The win for Gainesville halted a mini-slump where the Red Elephants were just 4-3 in their last seven games. It also snapped Loganville’s seven-game win streak.
“It’s a great rivalry and anytime you can beat Loganville it’s a big win,” Kemp said. “Now we have to head to Winder and see if we can keep things going. It was a good start to a big week for us.”
