COLUMBUS, Ga. — South Effingham continued its steep climb toward a Class 6A softball state championship by winning two games in the tournament’s losers bracket Friday.
The Mustangs defeated Lee County 3-0 early in the afternoon and topped Houston County 10-2 later in the evening.
South (31-3) remained alive in the Elite Eight double-elimination tournament and will play its next game Saturday at 10 a.m. against Lassiter.
The winner must then beat undefeated Creekview twice to claim the championship.
It’s a tall task, but just two days ago, South needed six consecutive wins to bring home a title after opening the tournament with a loss to Houston County.
Freshman Kendall Ward played a big part in the Mustangs’ rally. Ward pitched a four-hit shutout against Lee County and went 5 2/3 innings in relief in the second game.
Ward, who had gone hitless in six previous plate appearances in the tournament, broke a scoreless tie against Lee with a home run to lead off the fifth inning. She added an insurance cushion with a two-run double in the sixth.
She struck out eight and walked three while pitching out of jams during the final three innings.
Lee County (31-5) loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh before third baseman Alyssa Martin squeezed a pop-up to end the game.
Ward also worked out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the fifth inning and a first-and-third, two-out situation in the sixth.
South scored twice in the sixth. Justine Nevels led off with a single, and with one out, Taylor Swann followed with a pinch-hit infield single.
A lengthy discussion followed as Lee County challenged whether Swann had been properly entered into the game. Umpires checked with the GHSA, and the play stood. Ward then sliced a shot down the third-base line, scoring both runners.
Ward, Minshall lead the way against Bears
Against Houston County, Ward had two hits and drove in two runs. Her double highlighted a five-run third inning that gave the Mustangs a 7-2 lead.
She had plenty of help. Sydney Minshall finished with four hits and drove in three runs.
Martin, who had two hits in the opener, added a sixth-inning solo home run to make it 10-2. The eight-run lead ended the game after the Bears were held scoreless in the bottom of the inning.
