James Clemens starts fast in Tournament action
Katie McCarley gets a hit in action from James Clemens Tournament
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)
MADISON- The hits and runs kept coming for James Clemens as the Jets got play underway in the first annual James Clemens Softball Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The Jets defeated MadisonAcademy 7-0 in the first final of the 14 team tournament. There is plenty of action left starting Saturday morning with games going constantly until a champion is crowned Saturday night. The sites are Palmer Park and James Clemens field where the championship game will be played.
“We have mostly driving distance teams,” said James Clemens softball Coach A.J. Daugherty. “We do have a team out of Montgomery, Montgomery Catholic, so we’re excited and hopefully all the teams will go back and tell teams around them that it was first class and they enjoyed their time and got to play in some good facilities and play good softball. We’re looking to make this an annual event.”
Sarah Swager was the hitting star of the first game. She had a double and a single and two runs batted in. James Clemens put up a four spot in the first inning and Emily Jacklin made the runs stand up as she worked all five innings of the time-constrained game.
Jacklin also had a bases-loaded single to drive in two runs.
In the circle, Jacklin added to her scoreless inning streak that she started in a 10-0 win over Decatur in an Area 16 win earlier in the week. She worked 10 scoreless innings between the two games.
She had a no hitter against Decatur and was a walk away from a perfect game.
“She was a pleasant surprise as a freshman last season and as a sophomore we think she will continue to get better,” Daugherty said. “She has the right mindset and work ethic so we are looking forward to several more years with her pitching.”
Against MadisonAcademy, Jacklin was a strike throwing machine. She struck out the side in the second and fourth inning. In the second, with two runners on base, Jacklin struck out Lindsey Lewter on an off speed pitch which she used effectively all game.
James Clemens starts only one senior, left fielder Rachel Good, who has signed with Southern Union.
Abbey Payne, a junior, played centerfield and hit a double and plated a run in the fourth inning. Sarah Swager, also a junior, batted cleanup.
Freshman Shelby Booker is the teams leading hitter and run producer. She plays third base but is day-to-day with an injury. She is expected to be ready next week when the Jets travel to Florence for an Area 16 game Tuesday and on Thursday at home against Bob Jones.
In the second game James Clemens defeated Good Hope 19-7.
Athens had an impressive 2-0 start and enters bracket play seeded #1 on Saturday morning. Montgomery Catholic is seeded second and Central Florence third.
James Clemens is seeded fourth and will play at 9 A.M. at Palmer Park field #3 against Priceville.
