BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School’s baseball team will enter the District 6-1A tournament off a win, with Mattox Burgin striking out eight in 3.2 innings of work to help the Tornadoes defeat visiting Bell 6-2 on April 28.
The Tornadoes (2-16-1) are the seventh seed in the tournament, which is being hosted by Fort White High School. Bradford will play second-seed Union County in a quarterfinal game on Monday, May 2, at 4 p.m.
In their regular-season finale, the Tornadoes fell behind Bell 2-0, but took the lead for good with a three-run second inning. Kevin Crawford hit a leadoff double, while Elijah Noonan walked. Crawford scored on a Foster Smith double. After Burgin walked to load the bases, Blake Wynn hit into a fielder’s choice, with the Bulldogs recording the force out at home. However, Smith and Burgin scored on an error, putting the Tornadoes ahead 3-2.
Crawford and Noonan each had an RBI in the fifth, while Jonathan Brugh hit an RBI double with two outs in the sixth.
Smith and Brugh went 2 for 3 and 2 for 4, respectively.
On the mound, Burgin, in a relief appearance, gave up one hit. Matthew Stafford and Carson Knight combined for three innings of relief, giving up a combined two hits.
Bradford entered the game off a 10-0, five-inning loss to host Baker County on April 26. The Tornadoes had just two hits against Wildcats pitcher Ty Walker.
