By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

SPRINGFIELD – Ryan Wells has unloaded some long drives to help Effingham County’s baseball team in the clutch lately.

Wednesday, his inside-out swing blooped a hit into right field that worked just as well.

His two-out, two-run double produced the winning runs in the sixth inning as the Rebels rallied for a 3-1 victory over East Paulding in the first round of the Class 5A state baseball championships.

A few hours later, Wells’ four RBIs contributed to the 13-5 best-of-three series clinching win.

“When we’re down, we’re up,” the senior rightfielder said. “That’s our mentality. The game isn’t over until it’s over, over.

“It’s not just me. We had Kyle (Thomas) throwing great in the first game. Luke (Edwards) pitched five no-hit innings in the second game. We had 12 hits up and down the lineup. It’s all coming together.”

But it’s really coming together for Wells, who has 10 RBIs in the postseason.

“He found a way to get it done again,” Rebels coach Eric McCombie said. “He’s had a bunch of big hits for us lately. The ones he had been getting were barrelled. That one (the two-run double in the first game) was done a little differently. He was sawed off a little but found a hole in right field.

“It’s experience, but it’s also a guy who’s playing free and easy and not letting at bat to at bat get in the way. He’s been ready.”

Wednesday wasn’t the only time when ECHS’ Cinderella season approached midnight.

Wells had an awkward swing and a miss at a curveball in the game-winning at bat. He was guessing fastball and got another curve on a 2-2 count.

“It buckled me a little bit, but when I saw the spin, I pushed it the other way,” he said.

And so it goes for a guy hitting .415 (22 of 53) with 18 RBIs since March 8.

Wells drove in the first run with a double in a 3-0 win over Greenbrier in the region championship game on April 17.

Two days earlier, in the semifinals, he had a two-run triple that put his team ahead 9-8 en route to the 13-8 win.

In the first inning of a key series against Evans on March 25, Wells tripled with the bases loaded and ECHS held on for a 6-4 victory.

At the start of his hitting binge, he had three hits and drove in a fifth-inning go-ahead run in a 4-3 win over South Effingham.

“For a lot of the guys, this is their last time playing baseball,” Wells said. “I’ve played with all nine (starting Rebels) my entire life. It’s chemistry and the mentality the coaches are putting on us. We’re playing good baseball.”

Wells is one who will be giving up baseball after ECHS’ state tournament surge ends. He signed to play football at the United States Military Academy Prep School in the fall.

But right now, Wells and the Rebels are swinging during an exciting baseball season.  

“We feel confident,” he said. “We don’t have to change anything. It’s all there. We just have to keep playing our brand of baseball.”