COLUMBUS, Ga. – Missed scoring opportunities cost South Effingham in a 6-2 loss to Creekview on Friday night, marking the Mustangs’ first defeat in the double-elimination Class 5A state fast-pitch softball championship.
SEHS (25-4) faces a tall task today, starting at 11 a.m. The Mustangs must beat the winner of the Veterans-Loganville matchup before attempting to sweep two games from defending champion Creekview for the state title.
“We have to focus on the task in front of us, and that’s the first game,” SEHS coach Adam Newland said. “We’ll see where that gets us.”
Creekview rises in the postseason
South Effingham entered Friday’s winners’ bracket game with reason for confidence. On Thursday, the Mustangs defeated Lassiter 6-0. Lassiter won the Region 6 title, while Creekview finished second after losing twice to the Trojans during the regular season.
But the Grizzlies (28-5) have raised their level in the postseason, led by pitcher Jesse Roland, a Mercer University commit.
South had its chances against the right-hander, who allowed 11 hits and one earned run while throwing 133 pitches. Roland struck out 10 and walked three.
In the first four innings, the Mustangs recorded seven hits and got a runner to third base three times but failed to score.
Danni Lynn broke up the shutout in the seventh inning with a leadoff home run. South added another run later in the frame, taking advantage of two walks and an error, but by then Creekview had the game well in hand, having scored in five of its six innings.
Early call sets the tone
The first inning proved pivotal. South stranded runners on first and second with one out, and Creekview capitalized in the bottom half.
Mustangs pitcher Cheniyah Jackson was called for an illegal pitch, which added a ball to the count. Jackson appeared to escape a first-and-third, two-out jam when Ady Counts grounded out — but the illegal pitch nullified the play. To make matters worse, the home plate umpire added an extra ball to the count, changing it from 2-2 to 3-2, according to the NFHS Network scoreboard.
Jackson walked Counts to load the bases, and Creekview’s Lily DiGregario followed with an infield single to score the game’s first run.
“Obviously, there’s an impact when she’s been pitching that way for three years and it’s never been called,” Newland said. “It was another piece of adversity, and I thought she handled it well.”
Still, South needed to convert more of its 11 hits to keep pace. The Mustangs left 12 runners on base.
“It was frustrating and ultimately our undoing,” Newland said. “We did a lot against a difficult pitcher. If we get another chance against her, we have to take that next step.”
