The Ponte Vedra Sharks softball team qualified for the regional playoffs with an impressive 6-4 win over Orange Park last week. The Sharks surprised the Raiders with a surge of power that produced a six-run advantage at the end of two innings.
The trouble started for the hosts in the Shark first with a pair of doubles by Quinlan Richmond and Maddie Sypniewski. Farley Callaghan followed with an RBI single to plate Sypniewski, then Claudia Cotto stroked the third double of the inning, driving in Callaghan with the third run. Elizabeth Fox delivered Cotto with the fourth double of the inning for the Sharks.
In the second inning the Sharks shifted their attack from doubles to home runs – the back-to-back variety – off the bats of Lauren Struble and Michelle Leone. It was Struble’s first dinger of the year.
Orange Park could do nothing against Ponte Vedra’s pitcher Michelle Holder for the first five innings. They reached her for three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh but by then it was too little, too late. Holder allowed four runs on seven hits. She struck out seven and issued just one walk in seven innings.
Later in the week, Ponte Vedra met Clay for the district title but the Shark power that was so evident in their two previous games was absent. The Blue Devils blanked Ponte Vedra 6-0, allowing them no hits. Nonetheless the Sharks advance to regional play as division runner-up.
