GREEN COVE SPRINGS – After a thrilling nine inning win over county rival Clay High, Ridgeview High girls softball coach Rogery Harvey, who was well aware that his Panthers had twice lost to the Ponte Vedra High Sharks 11-0 in March, and 18-8 in April, entered their district 4-6A title game Shark hunting as the Panthers led the game at three and a half innings, tied the game up in the top of the seventh, but finally succumbed to the Shark’s attack 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh.

“The only thing we added was, in most innings, we are quick to get the first two outs,” said Harvey. “The only thing we changed was we had the catcher go back out to the pitcher, take a little time, slow the momentum down again, and then go back after the throw out, that’s the only thing we changed.”

Ridgeview continues their Cinderella season into the region 1-6A playoffs with a short trip to last year’s district 3-6A champion Paxon High (18-6) in Jacksonville for their region quarterfinal on Wed., May 3. Ponte Vedra (18-7), a region finalist last year, will host Terry Parker High (9-13).

In the top end of the region 1-6A bracket, Mosley, the district 2-6A runnerup at 11-12 and a region semifinalist last year, will travel to West Florida, the district 1-6A champion at 21-4. Gulf Breeze, the district 1-6A runnerup at 12-9-1, will travel to district 2-6A champion Wakulla (19-6).

Showing no fear of the Ridgeview infrequent playoff history and the two aforementioned games with Ponte Vedra, Ridgeview came out guns blazing.

In the top of the first, Kelsey Solomen got a single on a Ponte Vedra error. KK Sutherland would not waste the runner on as she belted a shot to left field for a standup RBI double giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. Ponte Vedra would come back and tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first, but the Panthers would hold at the tie.

In the second inning, both teams would put runners on base, but came away empty.

In the third inning, Sarah Anderson hit a hard grounder to the shortstop and was safe on first. Kelsey Solomon followed with a bunt that pushed Anderson to second and Solomen was safe on first. Chloe Chambers followed with a walk in four pitches loading the bases. KK Sutherland followed up with a short pop fly that Ponte Vedra let drop when no one called for the ball. Sarah Anderson scored the go ahead run and Ridgeview had momentum on their side. With two outs, Cheyenne Vincent was walked on six pitches, scoring Chloe Chambers putting Ridgeview up 3-1.

In the fourth inning, Ridgeview showed their mettle as they would get tested hard. After a single and getting two outs, the Sharks got two more runners on with a walk and a single. With bases loaded, Sarah Anderson and Reggie Boyd couldn’t have had a worse time to have exchange problems. After a ball pitch, Boyd let the ball get behind her and Ponte Vedra stole home and advanced the other runners to bring the score to 3-2. After throwing a strike, Anderson and Boyd again had an exchange issue and the Sharks took full advantage scoring the tying run. The batter finally hit a fly foul that Ridgeview caught, but not before the damage was done and the teams were tied 3-3.

“I’m thinking we might be feeling pressure more so than we ever felt it, obviously because this is the big game,” said Harvey. “But, like I’ve done most of the year, I just sit back and let them handle it. They dealt with it, so then we came back and put pressure on.”

In the fifth and sixth innings, both teams would leave runners on, only to come away empty.

In the top of the seventh, Sarah Anderson hit a line drive to left field for a single. After a sacrifice bunt to move Anderson and a pop out, Ponte Vedra would intentionally walk KK Sutherland in four pitches, putting runners on first and second with two outs.

“I’m thinking that could be a big mistake,” said Harvey about the walk of Sutherland to face Alyssa Adams. “That could be a big mistake because Alyssa has the same amount of power, it just looks different. With KK you see what you’re getting. She came through!”

Alyssa Adams proved to Ponta Vedra they made a blunder as she came to the plate and on the third pitch hit a grounder to left field, scoring Anderson for the go ahead run, 4-3.

When the Sharks came to bat, the first batter hit a deep shot to right center field that neither girl could get to before it dropped, putting the runner on second. After a pop out, the Sharks hit another fly to center field that Ridgeview could not make the play on and the tie run scored. After another fly for the second out, it looked like the game would go to extra innings once again. That was until the next batter hit a fly to short center field that dropped and scored the final run ending the game 5-4.