By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

Effingham County’s softball team took another step toward residing with the best in the state this year.

After winning one game in Columbus a year ago, the Rebels won twice in the Elite Eight double-elimination Class 5A state championships to place fourth.

And they just missed their goal of playing on the final day after losing a heartbreaker to River Ridge on a seventh-inning home run.

“I really thought we’d have a chance to play for a championship but finishing fourth is nothing to hang your head about,” ECHS coach Brad Thompson said.

The Rebels ended the 2024 season with a 24-6 record – percentage-wise (.800) their best since 2019 (25-5, .833). Along the way, they won a subregion championship and got revenge for an extra-inning region championship loss to South Effingham by eliminating the Mustangs at state.

As a No. 2 seed from Region 1, ECHS defeated Alexander in the first round of state before going on the road and taking 2 of 3 from Region 8 champion Loganville.

In Columbus, the Rebels opened by defeating Seckinger 6-1 on Oct. 30. Ansleigh Giordano surrendered just five hits and one run in getting the complete-game win. She struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter in a game that was a nailbiter until ECHS scored four in the seventh inning to provide some breathing room.

Braylin Vincent, who hit .417 in the tournament, was the offensive star with three hits and two runs batted in against Seckinger. Gabie Hill also had two RBIs.

The next day, Lassiter, the Region 6 champion and top-ranked team in ScoreAtlanta’s Class 5A top-10 pre-playoff rankings, beat the Rebels 9-2. Thompson said the game turned on a key defensive play when Shelby Zeigler was robbed of a three-run home run on a leaping catch as the outfielder toppled over the fence. Olivia Morgan had three of ECHS’ eight hits.

The loss set up an elimination game with South Effingham in Columbus for the second year in a row. The Mustang won in extra innings in 2023, but this time ECHS got off to a good start and pulled away with a five-run third inning. Giordano, who had hits in all four tournament games, had three hits and was the winning pitcher. Gracie LaFleur and Zeigler added two hits apiece. Jordan Tarver smacked a two-run homer and Zeigler had two RBIs.

“The girls felt good about it and it was a good win for the (Rebel) community,” Thompson said. “It was one of those humps we hadn’t gotten over.”

Thompson probably wishes the Rebels could have saved a couple of runs for River Ridge a few hours later. LaFleur had a two-run homer to tie the game in the first inning and Giordano’s RBI single put ECHS ahead in the second inning, but Brooke Beam of River Ridge tied the game with a home run in the fifth inning and won it for the Knights 4-3 with a homer in the seventh inning.

“We hit the ball and had opportunities, but we just fell short against some pretty good teams,” Thompson said.

NOTE: Effingham County’s second baseman Megan Coleman has been selected to play in the Georgia Dugout Club’s All-Star fast-pitch softball game on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Truist Park.