Gainesville ends Mustang season
For Effingham Now
It was a bitter ending to South Effingham’s baseball season, but Coach Ron Womack believes the future is bright for his Mustangs.
After struggling in the Region 3AAAAA tournament and having to settle for a No. 4 seed which meant playing on the road the Mustangs rebounded and reached the Elite Eight of the GHSA Class AAAAA state tournament before they ran into the end of the road.
Gainesville’s Caleb Whitenton slammed a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning last Wednesday in a decisive third game to give the No. 3 Red Elephants (26-6) an 8-6 win over South Effingham which was playing as the home team thanks to winning a coin flip.
The two teams had split a doubleheader the day before to force a third game. South Effingham (23-10) had rallied from a 6-1 deficit to tie the game before Whitenton’s two-out homer, his second of the game, marked the beginning of the end for the Mustangs.
“They played absolutely great,” Womack said of his team’s tournament run. “I think it speaks volumes of their attitude and character.”
After struggling in the region tournament the Mustangs had to go on the road in what figured to be a short run.
South Effingham, however, reached down deep and swept No. 1 ranked and state favorite Starr’s Mill, 2-1 and 14-13. Then came a series win at Alexander to set up the trip to Gainesville.
“To go to Starr’s Mill and win gave us some good momentum,” Womack said. “To beat them was huge. We had won our region crossover game with Lowndes, and then we struggled a bit.
“We weren’t playing bad baseball, and we had caught a few bad breaks,” Womack said. “But, we made the state playoffs and that’s what mattered.
“Before we went to Starr’s Mill I told the kids we had a ticket to the dance, and that was better than no ticket at all so make the most of it. And, they did.”
The Mustangs’ success, Womack said, was the result of a team effort with several different players making key contributions.
“Down the stretch Garrett Hodges gave us some really good performances on the mound,” Womack said. “He shut Starr’s Mill down and gave us a chance. He was outstanding on the mound, and at the plate swinging the bat, too.
“Corey Horne was our only senior position player, and he had six RBI at Alexander….he had some big two out RBIs,” Womack said. “We had somebody different come through every night. There was nothing you could point a finger at.
“These kids really learned how to do and how to win, how to deal with playing on the road in a hostile environment and dealing with nerves. Those will be big keys to next year.”
During the playoffs the Mustangs got excellent pitching from senior ace Carlton Redding and solid hitting from Hodges, Horn, junior Tyler Pullum, and Austin Thompson in particular.
Thompson, a sophomore second baseman, was the Mustangs’ leading hitter on the year, and his future, as well as that of several other Mustangs and the program itself are bright.
The junior varsity team, Womack said, had a winning record and several players there are ready to step up and compete next season.
“It’s moving in the right direction,” Womack said, “and it’s all because of the kids.
“I’ve stressed to them this is their team, and what they make of it is up to them. They’ve taken ownership, and its fun to watch.”