HS Baseball: Mosley handles Ponte Vedra, reaches state semifinal

PONTE VEDRA BEACH — Tom Stanton has no regrets about his team’s loss to Mosley in Wednesday’s 5A regional final. 

Ponte Vedra’s head baseball coach said he wouldn’t have played it any different — it just didn’t work out. 

“We didn’t have to play perfect, but we had to play better,” Stanton said. “We just didn’t and they took advantage of it.” 

Mosley defeated Ponte Vedra 13-1 to reach the state semifinals. Despite their huge deficit throughout the game, the Sharks competed until the end and showed they deserved to be in the regional final. 

The Dolphins (25-5) scored in every inning, tallying four runs in the second and fourth to overwhelm the Sharks. 

Ponte Vedra made three pitching changes to slow the torrid Dolphins, but it was fruitless. The Sharks’ bullpen notched only two strikeouts in the game and gave up 11 hits. 

But the Sharks kept battling. Sam Gabet and Joe Hoban got hits in the fifth inning, Hoban scored on a Dolphin error and the Sharks loaded the bases before the end of the game. 

“We haven’t laid down all year so if you beat us, you beat us,” Stanton said. “If you listened to our dugout, you couldn’t tell what the score was if you turned off the scoreboard. These guys pull for one another and I’m proud of how they handled themselves.” 

Mosley coach Jon Hudson said he was proud his team played well in all facets of the game, but the Dolphins have unfinished business. Mosley lost in the 2019 6A Final Four and COVID halted last season — foiling another potential playoff run. 

“These seniors feel they lost a shot to do it last year,” Hudson said. “That has been the focus and their theme every day.” 

Mosley will play Jefferson (19-10) in the state semifinal. 

Despite the loss, Ponte Vedra has many good years ahead of it, Stanton said. 

“I’m proud of these guys,” he added. “They earned their way here and they can’t take that away from them.”