By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

GUYTON – Season openers are often accompanied by an exchange of calm waters and rough seas.

South Effingham’s softball team sailed through Saturday in similar uneven patterns while splitting a doubleheader with visiting Jefferson, losing the opener 6-5 before winning the nightcap 5-2 as the afternoon heat index rose to 102 degrees.

“As with any first game of a season, you see some things you like and you see some things you know you have to get to work on,” said SEHS coach Adam Newland, who used the non-region clash with Jefferson, a 2023 Class 5A state playoff squad, as a chance to see different players in different positions.

The Mustangs are rebuilding after losing six key seniors who led a school single-single record of 31 wins a year ago.

Newland said expectations still remain high.

“There’s stuff that people outside our building are going to think – whether they’ll feel great about where we are or they’ll think we’re missing these six kids and how are we going to do this and that?” he said. “Inside the building, the expectation remains the same. That hasn’t changed and these kids are confident they can get there.”

The Mustangs’ young stable of pitchers held up well and surrendered only four earned runs Saturday.

Sophomore Rosie Dixon was the winning pitcher in the nightcap after allowing just one run in five innings.

Senior Izzy Wilkins, a backup to Bailey Kendziorski (who signed with Boston College), gave up just one earned run in four innings of the opener. Three South errors led to four unearned runs in the game.

Sophomore Cheniyah Jackson displayed a good fastball while striking out four in three innings of the first game. And freshman Kelsee Collins closed out the final two innings of the nightcap. She pitched a one-two-three sixth inning when the Mustangs clung to a 2-1 lead.

“Our pitchers threw really well, but we have to play better defense,” Newland said. “We really are going to pitch as a staff this year. We have four who can really go get it. They’re all going to get used like they were used today.”

Offensively, South pounded out 20 hits (seven for extra bases). Jackson went 3-for-3 with two doubles in the opener and Madison Mills went 3-for-3 in the nightcap.

Sophomore Justine Nevels, who batted in the lead-off position, had three hits (including a double and a triple) in eight at bats on the day.

Danni Lynn, another sophomore, had three hits, two doubles and two RBIs in five at bats.

On defense, Newland moved Lynn from first base to third base in the first game before moving her to catcher for the second game.

Alyssa Martin, a sophomore who caught the first game, moved to third for the second game.

Nevels played third base in the first game and Wilkins played first base in the second game.

“We’ll look at different combinations throughout the non-region so in late September and October we’re confident in what our best 9 to 11 kids can be,” Newland said. “They don’t hand out trophies in August. We want to be peaking in October.”