Clemente caps stellar pitching career with another gem to lead Douglas to state final
On Friday night as his team recorded the final out, Jake Clemente stood in the middle of the pitching mound and took in the moment.
He had done what he had done so many times in big games throughout his high school career at Stoneman Douglas High - lead the Eagles to victory.
This win - a 4-1 triumph over Oviedo Hagerty in the Class 7A state semifinals - meant a little more to Clemente though.
It was the Florida Gators signee’s last start wearing the burgundy and silver.
Clemente made sure his curtain call was a memorable one, throwing a one-hitter and striking out 10 while allowing only one run to lead Douglas to the state championship game for the second consecutive season.
It was also Clemente’s first complete game of his career.
“I just wanted to make sure I was ready and locked in at all times,” said Clemente, who leads the Eagles with 80 strikeouts and 10 wins this season. “That was my first complete game so I’m happy because I wanted to give my boys the best chance to win.”
Douglas (29-2), ranked No. 2 in the nation by MaxPreps, are in the hunt for a national championship and can clinch back-to-back state titles if it beats Palm Beach Gardens on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the final.
It would be the Eagles’ third state title overall, having also won the championship in 2016.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this group and our 10 seniors,” Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “Let’s see if we can send them out the right way.”
After working around a couple of walks in the second, Clemente allowed his lone run in the third when Hagerty (17-12) tied the game at 1.
But in the bottom of the fifth, Roman Anthony came through in the clutch once again for Douglas with a two-run single with the bases loaded that put the Eagles ahead for good.
“We knew the kid on the other side was good and he was consistent all game,” Anthony said. “My first at-bat, he hit me and in the second one he gave me a lot to hit. So by the third, I was seeing the ball well so I had confidence.”
Clemente did the rest, retiring the final six batters he faced with masterful use of his fastball and the command he showed through most of the evening in a game that started over five hours later than it was originally scheduled due to weather delays in state semifinal games held earlier in the day.
Clemente’s gem followed up his clutch home run in Tuesday’s regional final comeback win over Columbus.
“He told us he wanted this one and he was absolutely dominant,” Fitz-Gerald said. “He came right at them and challenged them. He didn’t throw a lot of breakers, just fastballs and he located really well.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2022 at 12:50 AM.
