The Englewood Rams will take on the Ponte Vedra Sharks at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Englewood's hitters haven't had much luck over their past three games, but Thursday's contest will give them a chance to turn things around.
Englewood is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Beachside 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Rams have posted since March 22nd.
Ponte Vedra never got on the board in their matchup on Thursday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Orange Park on Tuesday. They walked away with a 10-7 victory over the Raiders. Considering the Sharks' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
CJ McKenzie tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jack Brady was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Cole Rambler, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
Ponte Vedra always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .526. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Orange Park only posted an OBP of .364.
Ponte Vedra is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Englewood, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Englewood has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ponte Vedra struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Englewood might still be hurting after the 7-0 loss they got from Ponte Vedra in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
