BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School’s baseball team gave up three runs in the sixth inning in an 11-9 season-opening loss to host Middleburg on Feb. 10.
The Tornadoes held a 9-8 lead, but the Broncos took advantage of a walk, a single and a double to score what would be their winning runs.
Bradford fell in a 7-1 hole after the first two innings, but climbed back into it with a four-run third inning. Ryland Rike was hit by a pitch, followed by Patrick Pendarvis hitting a single. After a one-out single by Cannon Sapp, Rike and Pendarvis both scored on steals of home. Sapp also scored on a steal of home following an Avery Burgin single. Matthew Stafford later hit a sacrifice fly to plate another run and make it a 7-5 game.
Kaedan Parks hit an RBI single in the fourth to pull Bradford to within 7-6. The Tornadoes then took a lead with a three-run fifth. Bradford loaded the bases with Stafford drawing a walk, Jaron Hale getting hit by a pitch and Rike hitting a single. Pendarvis drew a bases-loaded walk, followed by a two-run single by Ryder Thompson.
Sapp finished 2 for 3, while Rike and Thompson each went 2 for 4.
Thompson had three of Bradford’s six RBI. Parks, Pendarvis and Stafford each had one RBI.
The Tornadoes host Parker on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 6 p.m. Bradford remains at home on Friday, Feb. 14, when it hosts Covenant School of Jacksonville at 7 p.m.
Bradford then plays two straight road games: at Gainesville on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m., and at Yulee on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m.
