James Clemens wins; Sparkman big over Bob Jones
Laura Lin Chaffin in action
(PHOTO CONTRIBUTED/DAVID SWAGER)
MADISON- If you were late getting to the Sparkman-Bob Jones softball game Tuesday night, you probably missed it. Sparkman blasted their way to a 17-2 win in four innings.
Ariel Smith smacked a walk-off 2-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning and that gave the top-ranked Senators the required 15 run lead to end the game after four innings. Jordan Bullock also homered for Sparkman. Sam Mayhall got the win.
Sparkman leads the Class 6A, Area 15 race to finish first and host the area tournament.
Meanwhile over at James Clemens the Jets got another first for the program when they defeated Florence 6-1. It is the first win ever for the Jets against Florence and it comes at a key point in the season.
The Jets had lost to Florence early in the season when they fell behind and couldn’t mount a comeback.
“It’s a great feeling to get this win because now we control our own destiny,” said James Clemens coach A.J. Daugherty. “If we beat Austin twice, we win the area.
We talked a lot going into this game about not getting behind early, work ahead in the count, jump on them early, and put the pressure on them. It’s a milestone win for our program, the girls are excited and if you see the work they put in it wouldn’t be that big a surprise.”
After trailing 1-0 James Clemens went ahead to stay with three runs in the fourth inning and 2 in the fifth.
Emily Jacklin led the Jets with one of her best pitching performances of the season. At the plate she tripled in a run. She recorded seven strikeouts and one walk.
There were several hitting stars in the game: Renee Bolduc scored two runs, Shelby Booker two hits a walk and a run scored, Laura Lin Chaffin single and RBI and Abby Payne a hit and scored a run.
“Emily had another really good game,” Daugherty said. “She struggled a little early but settled in and Shelby did a great job getting on base. She brings a lot of elements to the game with her ability to bunt and slap the ball and to swing away. She is very fast and you can’t coach speed.”
James Clemens now has games at Austin next Tuesday and at home against Austin in two weeks, both at 4:30, to decide the Area 16 race.
“Austin has a young team a lot like us. They have a solid team. I watched them beat Florence in extra innings last week,” Daugherty said. “They were down 4-1 and came back and won that game so they are a scrappy bunch.”
This Friday and Saturday, 44 teams from three states, including James Clemens and Sparkman will play in the Bob Jones Tournament with sites at Palmer Park and Bob Jones.
