Bob Jones’ Jack Shaw shrugged off a first-inning jam and Braden Booth hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the fourth as the top-ranked Patriots held on for a 5-4 victory over No. 9 James Clemens in the deciding game of Thursday’s Class 7A semifinal matchup in Madison.

“If you would have told me in April that this is how it would be, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Bob Jones coach Jared Smith said. “We had just won the area and, nothing really against James Clemens or us, but the odds of both of us making it are near none. I’ve never been a part of a high school baseball atmosphere like the last two days.”

Bob Jones (42-8) advances to the AHSAA championship series for the second time in program history. The Patriots lost the 2019 title series to McGill-Toolen, 2-1. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although Bob Jones had arguably the best roster, top-to-bottom, in the state.

“To get back is special,” Smith said. “In 2020, COVID hit and we had a really good team but you never know what would happen. Super proud of this team. They’ve set their own legacy and handled their business time after time.”

Shaw led off the first inning by hitting back-to-back batters, and James Clemens’ Hayden Markfort put both into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Ben Graves reached on an error, sending the first run home and later scoring on another error. A fielder’s choice from James Clemens starting pitcher Satchel Wheeler made it 3-0 with only one out.

Western Kentucky commitment Ty Marsh blasted an RBI double to give the Jets a 4-0 lead entering the bottom half of the opening frame.

“The wheels were falling off, but our guys are always resilient and never quit,” Smith said.

Zack Johnson, an Alabama commitment, cut into the lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double, and added to the rally with a single in the third, pulling the Patriots to within 4-3 after a second run scored on an error.

Wheeler allowed the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the fourth before being pulled. Booth, a Mississippi State signee, belted a go-ahead single –almost reaching over the centerfield fence — as Bob Jones rallied for a 5-4 advantage.

“I thought it was gone but even though it wasn’t, it did the job,” Booth said. “I was just trying to put a ball in a hole somewhere and ended up running into one. That was probably the biggest hit of my high school career and glad I could provide for the team.”

Shaw shut down the side in order in the fifth and seventh innings and allowed only two base runners in the sixth on back-to-back two-out singles.

“He came out a little nervous, which can happen, but he’s normally not like that,” Smith said. “James Clemens puts a lot of pressure on you, bunting and running, and they had one hit and scored four runs. I trusted Jack and knew we could get it done if he would settle down.”

Wheeler was tagged with loss after giving up five runs on five hits. Cade McComb allowed the winning hit.

James Clemens (32-12) set the program record for wins in a season and advanced to the semifinal round for the first time in school history. The Jets entered the playoffs at 27-11 and went 5-1 with series sweeps of No. 10 Grissom and No. 7 Hoover.

“If you asked anybody across the state would James Clemens be in the semifinals and a one-run game away from the finals,” James Clemens coach Johnny Johnson said. “They would have said that we were crazy.”

The Patriots closed out Game 2 in dominating fashion, resuming in the bottom of the fifth after suspended for inclement weather, and tacked on two runs in the sixth for a 9-1 victory to force a deciding third game.

Tanner Hermesch earned the win, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five in four innings of work, and Kaimana Kuroda allowed two base runners — one caught stealing and the other caught in a 4-6-3 double-play — while shutting down the entire side in order.

Star of the Game: Shaw. The junior shrugged off a first-inning jam to earn the complete-game victory, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out four.

“I started off rough. A team like that, when you give them a little bit of momentum, stuff like that is going to happen. But I trusted in my team, my pitches, and knew we’d come back. We’re Bob Jones,” he said.

Stat sheet: Bob Jones – Booth went 1-of-3 with the go-ahead two-run single, also scoring on an error, and Johnson was 2-of-3 with an RBI single and double. Jacob Pearl, Gresham Baker and Dillon Adkins all earned a hit while Reece Cato, Kaimana Kurado, Camden Martin, Myles Hammond, Robert Chatmon and Mason Rinehart combined to go 0-for-11 at the plate. James Clemens – Marsh went 2-of-3 with a single and an RBI double, while John Johnson and Francisco Ramirez were both 1-of-3. No other James Clemens player recorded a hit in the game.

Coach speak: “Yesterday, we came out really flat. Tense and nervous, coaches and players. The vibe was not good but something changed after Game 1. We got great senior leadership and they were sending messages last night after we left in the rain. If we lose the dugout, we lost the game. You couldn’t tell we were down 4-0 and that’s what makes this team special.” — Bob Jones’ Jared Smith

“My group of rag-tag, college walk-on type kids that play tough, I couldn’t be prouder of all that they accomplished. They’re fighters and they compete. We got hot at the right time and played well. It’s big for Madison City Schools to have the two representatives in the north semifinal from the same school system. That’s huge for the community and our club is going places where we’ve never been.” — James Clemens’ Johnny Johnson

What’s next? Bob Jones advances to face fourth-ranked Central-Phenix City in the Class 7A championship series, beginning at 2 p.m., Tuesday at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park.