By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

SPRINGFIELD – To be continued?

Effingham County swept the two-game, regular-season baseball series from rival South Effingham with a 4-3 victory on a pristine 78-degree Saturday.

It gave the Rebels at least four weeks of bragging rights after losing all three games to the Mustangs last season.

But after those four weeks? 

The annual baseball rivalry between ECHS and SEHS had an added wrinkle this season. For whatever reason, the two schools, located 14 miles apart, were placed in different subregions within Class 5A, Region 1 when the smoke cleared from the Georgia High School Association realignment.

So for the first time since 2020, games between the schools didn’t count in their respective standings.

But at the end of the season, subregion teams will cross over – No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No.  2 vs. No. 3 in the first round, then semifinals and region championship games for state tournament seedings.

The format created a paradox for the local rivals. How do you play these non-subregion games, still compelling to the area baseball community, when there’s a very good chance the schools could meet again in the region tournament when the stakes are much higher?

“We approached this week as a time to get people reps and get better,” said Mustangs coach Jesse Osborne, who didn’t pitch his No. 1 or No. 2 starters in the series. “We’re young and we’re trying to find guys to add depth to the lineup down the stretch.

“(The Rebels) didn’t see our best. They didn’t see what we’re capable of. I’m confident in this group and when the game really matters I think you’ll see a little more gumption about them. It’ll be different if we see each other later on.”

Effingham (13-2 and ranked No. 10 by ScoreAtlanta on March 3) won the first game of the series 5-2 but took a scrimmage-like approach Saturday with two players who had less than 10 at bats this season in the lineup.

“Our whole mentality is we’re one through nine,” Rebels coach Eric McCombie said. “We’re not depending on anybody, we’re depending on everybody.”

For ECHS senior Ryan Wells, the series might have become a poker hand with coaches holding their cards close to their vests, but still came down to basics for the players.

Wells finished with three hits and drove in a key run in the Rebels’ three-run fifth inning to rally from a 2-1 deficit.

Two South errors led to two unearned runs.

“I don’t think (South holding out its top pitchers) makes a difference,” Wells said. “They might say it makes a difference. We’re a hitting team. They have some good arms. We have good hitters. It’s always a good game no matter who they’re pitching or who we’re pitching.”

ECHS’ pitching staff had a nice bounce back effort after surrendering 13 runs (maybe pitching does matter) in a loss to Savannah Christian less than 24 hours earlier.

“Right after the (Savannah Christian) game, we washed it and focused on South,” Wells said. “That’s baseball. On any given day you can play good, you can play bad.”

Two wins over South should put the Rebels in a positive mindset to begin this week’s subregion-opening three-game set against Greenbrier.

“I knew coming into the season this week (before subregion play) would be tough,” McCombie said. “I feel confident, ready. I think (my players) want to (play hard) for each other more than anything. When you’re good and you want to play for each other, it’s scary (good). It could be a fun trip.”

The Mustangs (8-5) already put themselves in a good place by winning two of three games two weeks ago against their subregion foe Glynn Academy.

It’s hard to look too far ahead in baseball. But the region tournament is less than four weeks away.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw (South Effingham) down the road,” McCombie said. “I think we’re both playing at that level. … I think this series is to be continued to be honest with you.”