James Clemens takes down Bucks before Bob Jones battle

The James Clemens baseball team congratulates catcher JT Johnson after his play of the game on Monday.

By CALEB ODOM (caleb@themadisonrecord.com)

NEW MARKET — There was one game that stood between James Clemens and its bitter rival later this week.

The Jets had business to take care of on Monday, April 17 with a road victory over Buckhorn 11-5.

James Clemens was jolted by the return of Ty Marsh who pummeled the Bucks with his bat every time he stepped to the plate.

The Jets second baseman ended up with two doubles, a single and two RBIs in the game.

“It feels good. I’m glad to be back at it. It just felt like forever,” Marsh said.

Marsh tore his UCL in his left elbow back on March 22 sliding into home when he collided with the catcher’s knee.

“Ty is a huge part of our offense, and we lost him,” James Clemens head coach Johnny Johnson said.

“We lost a huge part of our offense. He was on fire when he went out and we didn’t know that we would get him back from that kind of injury. So the fact that he is back and being able to find the barrel this quickly is huge for us not only going into the Bob Jones series, but the playoffs.”

This game had a different energy around it. The pressure was off and the Jets were loose. The fans were entertained by foul balls slicing into the parking lot and smacking into the parked cars.

A Colten Payton foul ball actually did shatter the rear window of an unlucky patron who had parked a little too close to the action.

The Buckhorn campus was full of events on Monday with the Jets’ baseball game, a softball game nearby, a soccer match next door and the steady roar of the Liberty Middle School baseball championship game that was being played 100 yards away.

“It’s really easy to show up on a day like today and not be focused,” Johnson said.

“In the middle of area play, a non-area game late in the season, so I felt our guys played pretty focused.”

Buckhorn hit the ground running in the bottom of the first inning with a run that gave the Bucks an early 1-0 advantage.

James Clemens struck right back though with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning thanks to Andrew Lawrence stealing home and Nate Guyse’s sacrifice fly that plated Marsh.

The Jets turned 2-1 into 4-1 in the top of the third when Payton and Lawrence came around to score.

Lawrence started on the mound for James Clemens in a contest that became a bullpen game of sorts.

Three more runs in the top of the fourth inning that was fueled by Marsh’s RBI single expanded the Jets’ edge to 7-1.

The Bucks were able to get a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 7-2 Jets.

Buckhorn’s shortstop Chase Ambrose was a terror in this game with an RBI double in the first followed by another 2-bagger in the bottom of the fourth.

Marsh’s RBI double helped James Clemens tally four more runs in the top of the fifth to put the Bucks on the verge of being run-ruled with the score at 11-2.

But when the Jets didn’t drive in the final nail, Ambrose was there to make them pay with a 3-run home run to left that hacked into the defect and changed to scoreboard to 11-5.

The play of the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning for James Clemens.

With Buckhorn gunning for a comeback, Grant Gage was pitching for the Jets and JT Johnson had replaced Payton at the catcher’s spot.

There were runners on the corners with one out when a ball was popped up behind the catcher Johnson who whipped around and left his feet as he lunged toward the ball.

“I’m not the most athletic so I saw the ball go up and I didn’t really think I had a chance, but it hung up in the air and I caught it,” JT Johnson said.

The catcher made a diving grab on the edge of the grass in foul territory and had the presence of mind to lob the ball over to the waiting Satchell Wheeler at first base for the force play that ended the inning.

“It may be the most athletic play I’ve ever seen him make,” JT’s father and coach Johnny Johnson said with a grin.

That was the last real threat in this game that ended with James Clemens firmly in control.

As soon as the game was over the entire Jets team, clad in their baby blue uniforms, took off to the middle school field to support the Liberty baseball team who was on the verge of winning a county championship against Buckhorn Middle School.

While the current Jets cheered on the future Jets, some of the players had time to reflect on what awaits them later this week in the form of rival Bob Jones.

“It’s massive, it’s pride. I mean, most of these guys grow up and like we know each other,” JT Johnson said.

“There’s some hate. It’s bad blood between the two of us, but I’m excited. We are going to be locked in the next few days and ready to roll.”

With Marsh suddenly thrust back into the mix for James Clemens, the slugger is well aware of what these three upcoming games mean.

I think it will be bitter,” Marsh said.

“There has been a bunch of talking back and forth, especially junior class. There are some rivalries there, so I think it’s going to be an intense game.”

The James Clemens baseball team cheers on the Liberty Middle School team from the dugout on Monday at Buckhorn.