PONTE VEDRA – After two non-district losses; one to a much-improved Middleburg High team (5-2) and an always dangerous 7A-Creekside High squad (3-2), the Clay High Blue Devils’ softball team has rattled off big run wins of 15-0 over Menendez, 11-0 over Orange Park with a tough 2-1 win over district rival Ponte Vedra on February 28. The Blue Devils continued with a 4-0 win over Ridgeview on March 3.

District 4-6A

Clay (3-2, 3-0)

Ponte Vedra (6-3, 1-1)

Ridgeview (3-7, 1-2)

Orange Park (1-2, 0-1)

Menendez (3-2, 0-1)

Against Ponte Vedra, the team that knocked Clay out of the region playoffs last year, Clay got a fifth inning rally behind consecutive singles from Marianne McDonald, Morgan Silvis and Kaitlyn Kumpf with a sacrifice bunt from Jessica Powell. McDonald got to first on a bunt then moved to second on a catcher error before moving to third on a wild pitch to set up an RBI-single by Morgan Silvis to put Clay up 1-0.

A sacrifice bunt by Jessica Powell put pinch baserunner Shanley Miller on second before Kumpf’s bunt moved Miller to third. With Charlotte DeNapoli in the batter’s box, Kumpf stole second and Miller scored off a foiled pick off attempt as Kumpf finished at third base. Allison Byrd would reach first getting hit by a pitch, but batter Morgan Crutcher grounded out to end the inning.

Defense kept the lead for Clay with Ponte Vedra threatening a seventh inning rally with a run scored off a walk, a single and a sacrifice bunt put a baserunner at third base with just one out before Byrd scooped up a grounder at her second base position that allowed one run. Crutcher, who finished with three strikeouts, would get the game over with a fly out to Powell.

Against Ridgeview, Crutcher struck out six with DeNapoli leaving the game after a scoreless four innings with four strikeouts.

Ridgeview, under new coach Roger Harvey, a former mainstay in the Clay High dugout, has wins over Menendez (18-2), Palatka (11-1) and St. Augustine (19-5).

Top hitters for the Lady Panthers have been Chloe Chambers, Dacia Langman, Kelsey Solomon and Raven Little all at a .333 batting average with Chambers top hitter with nine hits. Chambers and Solomon both have a triple with Chambers hitting three doubles. Little has five stolen bases.

Freshman pitcher Sarah Anderson holds a 3-6 record from the mound with 13 strikeouts with Kirsten Sutherland having one loss with five innings against Ponte Vedra.

Orange Park had its best game thus far with a 12-1 win over Sandalwood, but the Lady Raiders have lost three of their last four games; Clay (11-0), Fletcher (5-2) and Keystone Heights (10-0) with a win over Menendez (2-1) on February 28.