Ponte Vedra repeated as District 6A champs after shutting out Ridgeview 6-0 Thursday night at Sharks Park.
For the second time this season, Brody Maynard shut out Ridgeview while allowing the visitors just one hit.
Maynard aided his own cause and provided what would prove to be the only runs he would need, with a two-RBI double off the right-field fence in the Sharks' half of the first inning.
Tony Roca had a huge day at the plate with a RBI double in the fourth inning and a long home run with a runner on board in the sixth frame to cap the Sharks’ scoring.
The Sharks padded their 2-0 lead in the fourth inning with Maynard and Roca again doing most of the damage. With one out, Maynard reached on a base hit to right. Will Hynes, a courtesy runner for the pitcher Maynard, then scored when Roca hit a double that nearly cleared the fence in left field. Roca crossed the plate on a passed ball for the second run of the inning.
The game was played in the exceptionally short time of one hour and 20 minutes with only one error committed between the two teams. Maynard, who fanned but one Panther batter and walked only one, received some exceptional defense from his teammates as did brothers Richard and Jayden Long for the losing Panthers.
Maynard, Roca and Carter Page each had a pair of hits for the Sharks, as the victors collected eight hits in total off Panthers' pitching. For Page, it was only his second game back in the lineup after missing 17 games with a knee injury.
The victory was the third earned over the Panthers on the season as Sharks pitchers have limited Ridgeview to only one total run in the three-game series.
The Sharks will next host Terry Parker on Wednesday, May 15, at 7 p.m. in the first round of the regional playoffs. Parker lost 1-0 in nine innings to Paxon in their district championship game on Thursday.
