COLUMBUS, Ga. – Cheniyah Jackson pitched a three-hitter, and South Effingham broke open a scoreless duel with four runs in the fifth inning to defeat Lassiter 6-0 in the opener of the Class 5A softball championships on Thursday morning.

Effingham County lost to defending champion Creekview 7-0 in its first game of the double-elimination, eight-team tournament.

South (24-3) advanced in the winners’ bracket to play the winner of Jackson County and Houston County at 5 p.m.

The Rebels (27-8) are back in action Friday at 9 a.m.

Chilly Start, Big Fifth Inning

First-round games were pushed to Thursday morning because of inclement weather. Conditions were still chilly, with most fans wearing parkas and winter coats for the early-morning games. The low temperature in Columbus on Wednesday was 43 degrees.

The Mustangs committed five errors in their game against the Trojans. Jackson pitched out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the first inning. Lassiter had a runner on third with two outs in the second.

Jackson struck out three and walked one.

South stranded six baserunners during its first four innings but broke through in the fifth. Sydney Minshall led off with a walk, and Alyssa Martin’s single put runners at first and third with one out. Pinch-hitter Kassidee Collins hit a grounder to third, but Minshall beat the throw to the plate for the first run.

Justine Nevels followed with a run-scoring double, and Abbey Jordan added a two-run single to make it 4-0.

In the seventh, Taylor Swann singled in a run, and the Mustangs executed a double steal for the final run. Swann was thrown out at second, but Nevels scored the sixth run.

Creekview Shuts Out ECHS

In the Rebels’ game, Creekview’s Jessie Roland, who is committed to Mercer University, pitched a complete game.

ECHS had chances to break up the shutout but could not deliver in late scoring opportunities. The Rebels had runners on first and second with no outs in the sixth inning and on second and third with two outs in the seventh.