ORANGE PARK - A grand slam homer in the sixth inning by Hunter Rodgers blew open a St. Johns Country Day School two-game series with two Georgia powerhouses and a 17-run explosion by Ridgeview High's surging softball team highlighted the Monday night action for Clay County sports.
"Bats were HOT!!," said Ridgeview coach Angela Agurkis, who added only her sixth win against 11 losses this season, but all recently happening including a spinetingler last week against Clay. "Best part about it was getting the kids who don't get much play time in the game. Seeing those smiles reminds me why I do this."
The Lady Panthers banked on their recent 8-7 win over rival Clay with a 17-2 outing against Providence, who finished in their 2A region final last year with a loss to University Christian, the eventual state runnerup.
Big innings were four runs in the first inning and six runs in the second to build an insurmountable 10-0 early lead then a 7-0 blast in the fourth behind doubles from A Kochman, Bella Jeffers and Emma Lundy and a triple from Danica McClelland who had four runs batted in with Lundy hitting for three RBIs.
On the mound, Saige Bialek, who has been red hot in the second half of the season started, got five strikeouts and even had two RBIs.
Ridgeview has three home games coming with Ponte Vedra, Oakleaf and Trinity Catholic on the way.
Just a few miles north, St. Johns starting pitcher Ethan Bissell struggled through four walks to give North Oconee a quick 1-0 lead, but settled in, six strikeouts, to keep the North Oconee bats at bay while the Spartans got a sacrifice fly from George Gilliand that scored Nick Bowden after a double with the duo repeating the sequence in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2 before three walks set up Rodgers' bomb in the same inning for a 7-2 lead.
Down Blanding, Ridgeview was taking on Class 1A No. 3 St. Josephs Academy, but falling 12-1 while south a few miles, Middleburg was caught in a maelstrom of homers by No. 7 2A Bishop Snyder (16-5) to the tune of four dingers and a 12-0 finish.
Middleburg (9-13) did have runners in scoring position with bases loaded in the first inning.
In beach volleyball, Middleburg (5-5) and Clay (2-3) battled in the sands of Russell Baptist Church with the Broncos winning a 5-0 match.