GUYTON, Ga. — One team’s thrilling victory is often the opposing team’s agonizing defeat. South Effingham knew the latter emotion Wednesday night.

The Mustangs saw an eight-run advantage disappear as Brunswick posted a stunning rally over the final four innings to beat South 9-8 at the Corral.

Brett Hickson’s three-run double with two outs in the top of the seventh inning won the game for the Pirates, who have one fewer loss than both South and Glynn Academy in the Region 1-5A South subregion standings.

SEHS (11-7, 5-3) could have been the subregion leader with a win after topping Brunswick 5-4 on Tuesday night in Brunswick.

“I told the guys you can’t take your foot off the gas against good teams like that,” SEHS coach Jesse Osborne said. “Our approach at the plate changed a little bit, and we stopped scoring runs.”

Brunswick rallies late

Conversely, Brunswick was dialed in. The Pirates chipped away with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in the sixth.

It was 8-5 in the seventh with two outs and a runner on first, but Brunswick smacked four straight hits. Pinch-hitter Eli Wheelis’ single — the third hit in the chain — made it 8-6, and the final blow, Hickson’s double, bounced to the right-center field wall to clear the bases.

“We weren’t throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count,” Osborne said. “If you get behind in the count, they’re going to make you pay. We told our players that before the series started.”

Missed opportunity in the seventh

The Mustangs threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Evan Hollis was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and then stole third base.

A strikeout followed for SEHS’ second out. With Carter Futch at the plate, a high, outside pitch for ball four tipped off the catcher’s glove and rolled about 15 feet away.

Hollis dashed for the plate but was gunned down on a perfect throw from catcher Coleman Smith to pitcher Braxton Johnson to end the game.

Fast start fades

It was the final gut punch in a game that started so promisingly for South Effingham. Hollis’ run-scoring triple and a throwing error put the Mustangs ahead 2-0 just three batters into the first inning.

In the second inning, freshman Cole McMurry tripled and scored on Trevor Seguin’s sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

In the third, South sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five more runs. McMurry’s single, combined with an error by the Pirate left fielder with the bases loaded, brought in three runs to extend the lead to 7-0. Two batters later, Lance Cantaline singled to make it 8-0.

Playoff picture tightens

SEHS and Brunswick meet for the series finale Friday in Brunswick. The Pirates can claim the subregion title and No. 1 seed in the region tournament with another victory over the Mustangs and by winning two of three in their final series against Statesboro.

If South wins Friday, the Mustangs, Brunswick and Glynn Academy could finish in a three-way tie for first place, with each team going 3-3 against the other two.

The tiebreaker for first place is the team allowing the fewest runs against the other two teams. Once the tie is broken for first, second place reverts to head-to-head.

“We have to win for all that to matter,” Osborne said.