ATHENS — Gainesville used a six-run sixth inning to blow open a close game en route to a 13-1 victory over Clarke Central Friday in Region 8-AAAAA action.
The win for the Red Elephants (9-2, 6-0 Region 8-AAAAA) sets up the first of two showdowns for first place with Loganville. The two teams will meet Monday at Ivey-Watson and then head to Loganville on Wednesday.
Gainesville pounded out 12 hits, paced by Collier Scott and Faris Mance, who had two hits each and combined for seven RBI. Banks Griffith and Anthony Carrera also had two hits each. Carrera had a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Fedrick Cardona, Jack Langford, Sam Carpenter, and jonathan Gettys had one hit apiece for Gainesville.
Carpenter got the win for the Red Elephants tossing six innings and scattering just three hits while fanning six. The one run was unearned. Gettys pitched a perfect seventh with three strikeouts.
The Red Elephants led just 2-0 heading into the fifth inning and added a run in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. They exploded for six runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh. Clarke Central (7-7, 3-5) scored its only run in the bottom of the sixth.
