In a tune-up for the district playoffs, the Ponte Vedra Sharks baseball team lost its final game of the regular season to the Creekside Knights 3-0.
Ponte Vedra’s Justin Vega pitched five scoreless innings before giving way to Zach Chappell in the sixth in a scoreless ball game. Chappell had problems with his location and walked the first three Knights he faced.
With the bases loaded and no one out, Shark coach Tom Stanton went to his bullpen bringing in lefty Jack Hahnemann.
The next batter hit a solid line drive back to the mound where Hahnemann grabbed it and threw to first to double up the Creekside base runner. Hahnemann then buckled the knees of the next batter with a 6-12 curve ball to retire the side. It was a magnificent inning for the junior reliever but the Sharks needed to score some runs and had just two innings to do that.
They failed to score in the sixth but threatened with singles by Eric Aleman and Quinton Brehm.
Three straight singles by the visitors in the seventh off Hahnemann plus a sacrifice fly pushed three runs across in the top of the seventh.
The Sharks needed a rally in their half of the seventh and Kevin Mauro started matters with a single to right. Tanner Hay then worked a walk and the Sharks suddenly had the tying run at the plate.
Unfortunately, a strike out and two lazy fly balls to left ended the rally, sending the Sharks into the playoffs on a disappointing note.
