GREEN COVE SPRINGS – As district baseball tournaments loom in a week, the Clay High School baseball team got scintillating defense and timely hitting to thwart the prospect of a three-way tie for the district 4-6A top spot as the Blue Devils went two for two for wins over the Ponte Vedra Sharks; 11-4 and 2-1, with back-to-back games Wed., April 19 and Thurs., April 20. Clay (17th), Ponte Vedra (10th) and Ridgeview (9th), all ranked in the top 20 in 6A are all in district 4-6A.

“We started out at one win and seven losses and that was tough,” said Clay coach Josh Persinger. “My coaches kept urging the boys to stay focused on the prize which is what we captured today; the district top seed. This district is so tough at the top that it was going to take an intense effort to succeed and I think we did the last two days.”

In game two, with a loss causing the coin flip for number one, Ponte Vedra looked primed to rebound from the 11-4 loss on Wednesday with a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning coming from three errors by Clay and a hit batter by pitcher Austin Burke.

“We had some jitters I think mainly because of them being Ponte Vedra,” said Persinger. “We just had to settle.”

With the bases loaded and the Ponte Vedra dugout erupting in anticipation of a big inning, it was shortstop Connor Solomon and second baseman Cole Escher executing a nifty double play grounder to squash the intensity. It was the fourth double play of the series with Escher combining with Burke at shortstop to finish off two in game one.

“The double play is like the slam dunk of baseball,” said Solomon. “It’s a gamechanger.”

Clay answered with their high-charged defensive effort with a double for Escher in the ensuing inning that turned into a run with Tyler Spence bashing an RBI single over second base to tie the score at 1-1. Josh Lemen would strikeout, but Solomon would single before Chase Holman grounded out to end the inning.

“We have been very good at taking adversity and using it to our advantage,” said Persinger. “You can say we need to get mad before we get going.”

With Burke getting a strikeout and two flyouts in the top of the second, Clay looked to add to their run total with Burke getting to third base off a field error and single from Jacob Owens and Andrew Yarbrough getting hit with a pitch, but Ponte Vedra’s defense stymied the setup with Escher striking out and Spence getting a line drive stolen at third base as the Sharks’ defense braked Clay’s momentum.

A pickoff play at second base squelched a Ponte Vedra scoring opportunity as Burke was limiting the Sharks to just three batters.

In the fifth inning, with the score at 1-1, Escher answered with a missile-launch home run ball that quickly made it to the other side of the outfield fence to up the game to 2-1 for Clay. Lemen was hit with a pitch, but Solomon struck out and Chase Holman grounded out to limit the lead to 2-1.

“What can I say about hitting the gamewinner,” said Escher. “The double plays are just one of the little things we work on all the time in practice for games like this.”

In the Sharks’ final at-bat, Solomon and Escher combined for a double play to end the game.

In game one, on a strikingly sunny night at Ponte Vedra, Clay High baseball infielders Austin Burke and Cole Escher executed three critical double plays to push the Blue Devils to an 11-4 win to set up the game two dramatics.

In the first inning, Clay jumped all over Ponte Vedra starting pitcher Kevin Faulkner with Escher walking and Tyler Spence and Josh Lemen both singling to set up an RBI single from Connor Solomon that scored the game 2-0. A strikeout to Chase Holman and a grounder to Ken Burke ended the quick strike, but the Blue Devils built a bit of momentum.

Ponte Vedra, facing Solomon on the mound for the Blue Devils, got three walks to load the bases before Burke to Escher to Andy Yarbrough at first displayed the first double play of the night though a run scored off the effort.

In the third, Ponte Vedra opened with a solo homer to Quenton Brahm then added three singles off Solomon to load the bases before centerfielder Jacob Owens lost a flyball that allowed one more runs and a flyball scoring another to push the Sharks into a 4-2 lead.

In the fifth, Clay’s bats woke up with Holman and Ken Burke opening with hard singles and Austin Burke loading the bases with a bunt to setup an RBI single by Escher that was aided by a shortstop error. Jackson launched an RBI single to score two more runs with Escher singling to load the bases one more time with the score now 6-4 for Clay.

In the Sharks’ fifth, Yarbrough opened with a strikeout and a single to right field, but Burke to Escher to Solomon now at first finished off a dramatic second double play to end the inning.

The defensive highlight ignited the Clay dugout that seemed to shake Roca as Holman opened with a single, Ken Burke walked and Austin Burke walked to load the bases with one out. Owens started the avalanche of runs with a run scoring single with Escher and Lemen singling around a walk to Spence to score the 11-4 game as Persinger was content to keep the bases loaded and let his batting lineup methodically move baserunners into scoring position.

Around the county, Oakleaf (16-5, 4th-ranked in 8A) lost a 5-3 match to 5A-Baker County on Fri., April 21 despite a homer from Justin Wagers. Oakleaf also lost a 2-1 decision to 3A-St. Johns Country Day School. Oakleaf finishes with Bartram Trail at Bartram Trail April 26 and home against Englewood April 27.

In district 2-8A, where Oakleaf, Atlantic Coast and Fletcher are ranked in top 10 of 8A, Fleming Island (12-9, 3-2), holds out as the dangerous team of the district with a strong batting lineup and big arms in Billy Schopp and Cory Solomon. Fleming Island lost a tough 2-0 game to top-ranked 4A-Providence (18-5, fourth ranked in Florida, No.1 in 4A) then beat Buchholz 9-5 in a slugfest. Earlier in April, Fleming Island snuck past Creekside 3-2 in 10 innings then won 8-3 over Atlantic Coast in district play. A 6-5 lost to Bishop Kenny (20-2, 8th-ranked in Florida, 2nd -ranked in 5A) fueled some inspiration as the Golden Eagles won two over district foe First Coast.

In district 2-3A, St. Johns (14-8, 21st in 3A), after an 8-1 district loss to top seed University Christian (14-7, 5th ranked 3A), has a five game win streak going with wins over St. Joseph, Oak Hall, Oakleaf, Ridgeview and Orange Park with a Monday game against Christ’s Church and Eagles View on April 27.

Ridgeview (16-5) finishes at Keystone Heights April 24, with Creekside April 26 and with Columbia April 27.

Keystone Heights (14-6, 6-1, 17th-ranked in 5A) and the district 5-5A top seed over Santa Fe, fin?ishes with Ridgeview and at Clay April 26.

Middleburg, (7-16, 0-6) in a strong district 3-7A, finishes at Columbia on May 2.

Orange Park, (1-21) closes its season at St. Augustine April 24 and with Baldwin April 27.

District tournaments

District 2-8A at Atlantic Coast May 2-4

District 3-7A at Columbia May 2-4

District 4-6A at Ponte Vedra May 4-7

District 5-5A at Santa Fe May 1-4

District 2-3A at St. Joseph’s May 1-4