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SEHS softball finishes in a tie for fifth in Columbus
Izzy Wilkns
South Effingham's Izzy Wilkins (No. 26) pitched a complete-game five-hitter in the Mustangs 5-3 win over East Paulding at the Class 5A softball championships in Columbus on Thursday (Oct. 31). South finished the season tied for fifth in the state. (Mark Lastinger for the Effingham Herald.)

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

South Effingham’s softball program reloaded this season and returned to a familiar place at the end of October – Columbus, the site of the Class 5A softball state championship tournament.

Coach Adam Newland’s squad won a game in the Elite Eight tournament and finished tied for fifth in the state and gained valuable experience for a starting lineup composed of five sophomores and a freshman when Cheniyah Jackson was pitching.

South (25-7) went undefeated in its subregion, then won the Region 1 championship with tense, extra-inning wins over Greenbrier and Effingham County.

The Mustangs swept Villa Rica and Thomas County Central in the first two rounds of state to earn a trip to Columbus.

“For these kids, they gathered belief as the year went along,” said Newland after holding off Thomas County Central in the Sweet Sixteen.

It was the fifth straight year SEHS advanced to the Elite Eight. The Mustangs did not go to Columbus in 2021 when the GHSA took only four teams for its championship tournament because of COVID.

Sydney Minshall and Justine Nevels
The smooth play of freshman second baseman Sydney Minshall (No. 11) and sophomore first baseman Justine Nevels (No. 17), both first-year starters, contributed to South Effingham's success. (Mark Lastinger for the Effingham Herald.)
This year’s trip wasn’t easy. South opened with eventual champion Creekview and had its 14-game winning streak snapped, 10-1.

Uncharacteristically, the Mustangs committed seven errors and surrendered five walks in a game halted after five innings. Alyssa Martin, whose two home runs and seven RBIs helped beat ECHS in the region finals, had another home run for South’s lone bright spot against Creekview.

The next day, the Mustangs defeated 27-win East Paulding, the Region 5 champion, 5-3 behind the complete-game pitching of Izzy Wilkins. The lefthander scattered five hits and allowed just one earned run while striking out eight and walking none.

Sophomore Justine Nevels hit a home run and drove in three and freshman Sydney Minshall and senior Kenzie Ergle each added an RBI.

The Mustangs advanced to play Effingham County, mirroring the 2023 season’s Elite Eight third-game elimination clash with the Rebels. This time, South couldn’t slow down ECHS, which produced 12 hits in the 12-4 victory. 

Four players who will be back next year – Abbey Jordan, Rosie Dixon, Nevels and Minshall – each drove in a run. Martin added two hits.