The Ponte Vedra Sharks will challenge the Englewood Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Ponte Vedra 3.7, Englewood 3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Ponte Vedra is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Orange Park by a score of 10-7. Considering the Sharks' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
CJ McKenzie
| 04/15/25 vs Orange Park | 8 |
| 02/20/25 vs Fletcher | 5 |
| 03/28/25 vs Oakleaf | 4 |
| 02/13/25 vs Bolles | 4 |
| 04/08/25 @ Tocoi Creek | 3 |
Ponte Vedra got a great performance from CJ McKenzie as he struck out eight batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Those eight strikeouts gave McKenzie a new career-high.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jack Brady, who scored three runs and stole 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. Cole Rambler was another key player, scoring 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.
Meanwhile, Englewood posted their closest win since March 22nd on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Beachside 2-1. The Rams haven't had any issues with the Barracudas recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Ponte Vedra is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.2 runs 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. Ponte Vedra has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Englewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ponte Vedra took their victory against Englewood in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 7-0 score. Do the Sharks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
