By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
GUYTON – One of many errant throws Friday night (Feb. 28) ended in just the perfect spot for South Effingham – off the knee of Lance Cantaline.
The junior gladly took the glancing pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in the winning run and the Mustangs defeated visiting Glynn Academy 6-5.
South won the early-season, three-game series two games to one to grab a leg up on the Red Terrors in the Region 1-5A South standings.
“As long as we win the game, I’ll take that,” said Cantaline, a statement apropos of a night when the Mustangs managed just one hit, but creatively found ways to battle back from 3-1, 4-2 and 5-4 deficits without ever getting another hit.
The seventh inning was typical of the previous six. Tied at 4-4, Glynn took the lead when Wessley Roberson, an LSU signee, walked, stole second, stole third and came around to score after the throw to third ended up in left field.
But South topped that in the bottom of the inning. Lawton Bowen walked and went to second on a wild pitch. Jacob Duncan followed with a sacrifice bunt and Bowen beat the throw to third.
Dalton Redmond then bunted in the run and a wide throw to first failed to get Redmond.
Glynn pitcher Jeb Carson displayed some frustration by kicking dirt on the mound and the second base umpire moved the Mustang baserunners to second and third.
After a strikeout and an intentional walk, Cantaline was in position to win it.
“It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win,” SEHS coach Jesse Osborne said. “Any time you win a series it’s huge. To beat a team of Glynn’s caliber, we’ll celebrate that. We put ourselves in a position now to maybe celebrate something later on.”
The Mustangs, who graduated nine seniors from last year’s 19-win team, won the opener of the series on Feb. 24, 5-3, in Guyton then lost Game 2, 2-0, in Brunswick on Feb. 26.
“As a young group, they play well together,” said Osborne about his 2025 team with six first-year starters. “They’re eager to win and that’s something you can’t teach all of the time. I’ve said it from the get-go, we may be young, but we’re looking to surprise people. It’s only one win in the books, but this is something we can build on.”
It was the third walk-off victory for the Mustangs among their seven wins this season.
Cantaline, who was the Game 1 starter, was the winning pitcher in both victories against Glynn.
Last year, the Red Terrors beat the Mustangs twice in their three-game set.
“People see all the seniors that left, but they don’t see the talent that we have right now,” Cantaline said. “That’s what really matters. We lost a lot of people, but I think we’re playing better as a team.
