BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School’s baseball team held a 9-4 lead, but wound up losing 12-11 in nine innings to host Fort White on April 15.
The Class 3A Tornadoes (7-10) trailed 4-1 before an eight-run fourth inning in which Bradford scored all of its runs with two outs. Avery Burgin drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run, while Jeffrey Brugh and Luke Stucky both hit two-run singles. Ryland Rike scored on a passed ball before Denver Hudson and Ryder Thompson each hit an RBI single.
Bradford scored two in the fifth to take an 11-6 lead. Brugh and Rike both walked. Mattox Burgin reached on an error with two outs, which allowed Brugh and Rike to both score.
Class 1A Fort White scored four runs in the sixth, taking advantage of three singles, a walk and two passed balls.
The Tornadoes had two on with two outs in the top of the seventh, but a strikeout ended the inning.
Fort White tied the score in the bottom of the inning. With one out, H Adams was hit by a pitch, while C Hall and G Depaola both walked. T Flynn hit an RBI single to make it 11-11 and send the game into extra innings.
Bradford loaded the bases in the top of the eighth. Thompson drew a one-out walk, while Jaron Hale and Blake Wynn were both hit by pitches with two outs. A fly out ended the inning.
The Indians’ Depaola led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and advanced to second when Bradford committed an error on the play. Depaola remained at second after a pop-up to first baseman Patrick Pendarvis, but scored on aunt by K Haase.
Brugh and Stucky, who went 2 for 5, each finished with two RBI.
Thompson went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Hudson, Avery Burgin and Mattox Burgin each finished with one RBI.
The Tornadoes went 1-1 in their previous two games, beginning with a 10-6 win over Class 1A Hamilton County on April 11 in Jasper.
Bradford fell behind 6-1, but an RBI triple by Jaxson Carter in the fourth helped make it a 6-4 game.
That’s how the score stood until Bradford scored five runs in the sixth. Cason Pilcher and Pendarvis walked, while Hudson reached on an error to load the bases. Pilcher scored on a balk before Avery Burgin hit a two-run single. Brugh reached on an error, while Rike singled to load the bases again. Mattox Burgin and Pilcher both drew walks to force runs in, putting Bradford up 9-6.
Carter and Avery Burgin, who went 2 for 3, each finished with two RBI.
Pilcher, Rike and Mattox Burgin each had one RBI.
Hudson went 4 for 4, while Rike went 2 for 5.
Mattox Burgin entered to pitch in the second inning, giving up one run, five hits and three walks through six innings. He had seven strikeouts.
On April 12, the Tornadoes allowed only three earned runs, but lost 8-3 to visiting Class 4A Baker County.
The Tornadoes held a 3-1 lead, with two of their runs occurring in the third inning. Rike and Stucky both walked and advanced on a Mattox Burgin ground out. Hudson was hit by a pitch before Thompson hit a two-run single.
Baker scored seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings, taking advantage of three singles, three walks, three errors and a hit batter.
Starting pitcher Pilcher allowed six hits and struck out four in five innings. Hudson pitched two innings, giving up no runs and one hit.
The Tornadoes played fellow Class 3A team Keystone Heights this past Tuesday and will travel to play Class 3A P.K. Yonge on Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m. Bradford returns home to play Hamilton County on Friday, April 19, at 6 p.m.
On Tuesday, April 23, the Tornadoes travel to play Class 1A Union County at 6 p.m.
