GAINESVILLE -- After pitching just five innings all of last season due to injury, Gainesville’s Harrison Styles is just now finding his way.
Imagine what can be when he gets there.
The senior right-hander took a perfect game into the fifth, a no-hitter into the sixth, and settled for a four-hitter in leading the Red Elephants to a 3-1 victory over Lanier Tuesday at Ivey-Watson Field in another key Region 8-AAAAA battle.
“That was probably the best I’ve felt all year,” Styles said. “I’m getting more experience every time I go out and that is making a big difference. I feel like I’m just now learning how to pitch.”
Styles dominated the Longhorns through the first four innings, fanning five, including four straight at one point. Lanier was not able to get a ball out of the infield on six groundouts and a pop up to first baseman Caleb Whitenton.
The effort definitely got the attention of Gainesville coach Jeremy Kemp.
“He was fantastic out there,” Kemp said. “The last two or three starts he has gotten better each time out. With Jonathan (Gettys) and Caleb, if he can keep pitching that well that gives us three tough guys to beat (on the mound).”
The only trouble for Styles came in the seventh allowing three hits to the first four batters, including a one-out RBI single by Chandler Burrow knocking in Sam Coursey to cut the lead to 3-1. Gettys would come in and strike out the final two batters to preserve the win and get the save.
Gainesville (16-5, 11-3 Region 8-AAAAA) avenged a gut-wrenching 5-4 loss to the Longhorns (7-14, 4-10) on Monday when the Red Elephants gave up four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Whitenton gave Styles all he would need in the first. Fedrick Cardona walked to start the inning and two outs later Whitenton mashed a long two-out home run to center for a 2-0 lead. Anthony Carrera followed with a double but was stranded.
The Red Elephants stranded a runner in the second but Gettys extended their lead to 3-0 with a long home run to center in the bottom of the fourth. They would not get any more, however, stranding six runners for the game, three in scoring position.
“We’re getting on base, we’re just not getting them in right now,” said Kemp, who watched them strand more than a half-dozen on Monday after building a 4-0 lead. “Situational hitting is what we need a little more of. But hitting always comes and goes. Pitching and defense are what win games and we’re doing both pretty well right now. The bats will get going.”
Styles was perfect through the first 12 batters but issued a walk to start the fifth to Burrow to break-up the perfect game. The Red Elephants defense turned a double play on the next batter and Styles fanned Marcus Milhouse the second of three times to get out the inning facing the minimum.
The no-hit bid ended in the sixth when Cole Dudley led off the inning with a single when Anthony Carrera slipped in center allowing the ball to drop. But Styles got another double play on the next batter and got a ground out to get out of the inning.
In the seventh the Longhorns got a pair of hits with one out to bring the tying run to the plate but could not conjure the comeback for a second straight night.
Whitenton finished with two hits and two RBI to pace Gainesville. Carrera and Banks Griffith each had two hits and Michael Curry, Gettys, and Brandon Sewell each had one hit for the Red Elephants.
Coursey, Anthony Valvo, Burrow, and Dudley each had one hit for Lanier.
Gainesville next will travel to Flowery Branch on Thursday in a game moved from Friday because of the Falcons’ prom that night.
Lanier will play host to Apalachee on Friday.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/4/303506/baseball-styles-ghs-avenge-loss-to-lanier