BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Luke Stucky drew a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh as the Bradford High School baseball team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat visiting Fort White 3-2 on April 6.
It was the third time in almost a three-week period the Tornadoes (7-9) have won a game in such fashion.
Bradford put its first run on the board in the fifth. Cason Pilcher, who finished 2 for 3, hit a leadoff single, followed by a Kevin Crawford double. Pilcher scored on a Brayden Smyth ground out.
Foster Smith hit a two-out double in the sixth and scored on a single by Kacen Thomassen.
Crawford drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Ryder Thompson was hit by a pitch, followed by Smyth reaching on an error to load the bases. Ryland Rike hit a ground ball that resulted in a force out at home. A strikeout then resulted in the inning’s second out. Stucky took the first two pitches he saw for balls. After fouling off the third pitch, he took two more pitches to draw the game-winning walk.
Matthew Stafford earned the win. In three innings of relief, he gave up one hit and one walk, while striking out three.
Stucky started and pitched four innings, giving up the two runs on five hits and no walks. He had three strikeouts.
The Tornadoes host Suwannee on Tuesday, April 11, at 7 p.m. and will travel to play Crescent City on Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m. Bradford hosts Interlachen on Friday, April 14, at 7 p.m. and Union County on Monday, April 17, at 7 p.m.
