BETHLEHEM — Collier Scott highlighted a 12-hit attack for Gainesville with a seventh inning grand slam to push the Red Elephants to a 12-2 win over Apalachee in a key Region 8-AAAAAA contest Monday on the road.
The win for the Red Elephants (19-7, 9-4 Region 8-AAAAAA) shrunk their magic number to one to clinch the No. 2 seed in the upcoming state tournament. Third-place Dacula (18-9, 8-5) beat Lanier 12-4 on Monday to keep the pressure on.
Gaineville will try to get the clincher on Wednesday taking on the Wildcats at Ivey-Watson Field.
In Monday's acton, Gainesville opened with a four-run first inning, highlighted by a two-run double from AJ Smallwood. It stayed that way until Apalachee scored a run in the fourth to trim it to a 4-1 lead. The Red Elephants exploded for eight runs in the top of the seventh with Scott's blast the big blow.
Scott also got the win on the mound tossing six innings allowing just one run while fanning eight. Banks Griffith pitched the seventh giving up one run.
Jared Smith had three hits and two RBI for Gainesville. Charlie Wall and Cale Conley each had two hits and Kyle York, Griffith, and Cameron Wilson had one hit apiece for the Red Elephants.
