By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Region softball champ Mustangs, runner-up Rebels set sights on State
Hailey Burns
Lady Mustang No. 7 Hailey Burns hits a solo homer in the bottom of the second to put South up 2-0 over the Lady Rebels. (Photos by Gilbert Miller/Effingham Herald.)

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

GUYTON – At times, South Effingham's path to win a region championship and host a super-regional in the Class 6A state softball tournament looked impossible to navigate.

But the Mustangs, who have been there before, dodged the pitfalls and steered confidently to their destination.

South held off rival Effingham County 5-4 on Oct. 11 to win its second straight Region 2-6A softball title and earn the right to begin State as the host of a four-team pod in a two-day, double-elimination affair which begins today, Oct. 18.

Effingham County also advanced to the state playoffs, but will be on the road as a No. 2 seed in a four-team pod at Houston County High School.

SEHS (26-4) will open state tournament play against Rockdale County (10-9) at 1 p.m. Thomas County Central (14-13) and St. Pius X (13-13) square off at 3.

The Rebels (22-5) play Lovejoy (15-8) at 3 p.m. Houston County (26-3) and Riverwood (12-16) are the other teams in the pod. They meet at 1.

"It's great to be region champ, great to host the super-regional, sleep in your own bed to start the playoffs, but we'll line up and play anyone," Mustangs coach Adam Newland said. "You have to beat (the top teams) anyway if you want to win a title."

South put together a gritty final two weeks of the regular season and now eye a trip back to Columbus, the site of the Elite Eight double-elimination tournament to determine a state champion.

The Mustangs won their last seven games, including a 9-1 victory over Grovetown to avenge a Mercy-Rule loss to the Warriors, and produced two tension-packed victories over Effingham County to win the three-game series with both schools.

"Our backs have been against the wall since late September and they answered the call every time. I couldn't be more proud," Newland said.

Game 3 between the Mustangs and Rebels was another vintage thriller between the teams with an added twist of four lead changes.

"It was like being on a rollercoaster," SEHS' Sarah Messex said. "You're on top, then they scored to bring you back down."

But Messex's two-out, two-run double in the sixth inning was the decisive blow and the Mustangs were again pointing skyward.

The senior also hit a two-run home run on Oct. 4 to provide the only runs in the Mustangs' 2-0 victory over ECHS in Game 2 of the series.

The Rebels won Game 1, 2-0 on Sept. 28. Both teams came into the final region game with 15-2 region records.

"We adjusted and our girls did what they needed to do," Rebels coach Brad Thompson said. "We couldn't hold the lead but that's a testament to (South Effingham). They battled. That's what the game's supposed to be about."

Ansleigh Giordano
No. 21 Ansleigh Giordano of the Lady Rebels pitches in the bottom of the sixth, with the Rebels up 4-3 over the Lady Mustangs in a back-and-forth game.
South held a 1-0 advantage after Hailey Burns' second-inning homer. ECHS answered in the third inning, using two bunts to create traffic before Ansleigh Giordano's two-run bloop single to right field.

The Mustangs came back in the fourth. Protecting the plate against an unusually wide strike zone, righthand-hitting Kenzie Ergle poked an outside pitch down the right-field line for a run-scoring triple. Ergle scored the go-ahead run two batters later on Messex's single to make it 3-2.

But the Rebels fought back in the sixth. Gabbi Hill's double off the left-field wall drove in the tying run and Jordan Tarver's hot smash off the leg of pitcher Bailey Kendziorski brought home Hill. 

"It was so up and down," Kendziorski said. "(The Rebels) are fantastic hitters so of course they're going to hit the ball. Literally, it was crazy, such a change of emotion almost every inning."

The focus for South Effingham and Effingham County now shifts to the state playoffs. Both teams advanced to Columbus last season.

"(Being) a state qualifier is special," Thompson said. "A lot of girls go home (after the regular season). Our goal to start the season was to play for a region championship and our second goal was to play on the last day of the season (in Columbus). We accomplished one goal and the other goal is still alive."