Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School’s softball team continued to produce runs, but still lost its first game on Feb. 28, falling 12-11 to visiting Yulee.
Yulee, which had plenty of baserunners, thanks to 14 walks, scored the first six runs.
The Tornadoes (3-1) finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Rylie Blankenship, who singled, scored on a steal of home. Takeirra Bakken drove in a run with a single, while Allie Funderburk drove in one on a ground out.
Bradford never held the lead, but cut the margin to one in the sixth. After Yulee scored two runs in the top of the inning, the Tornadoes pushed four across. Taylor Reddish drove in the inning’s first run on a single, while Bakken hit a double that scored two. Bakken later scored on an error to make the score 8-7.
Yulee increased its lead to 12-7, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh. The Hornets loaded the bases with three straight walks and then scored one run on a ground ball and three more on two consecutive doubles.
In the bottom of the inning, the Tornadoes put two on, with Cassidy Spratlin drawing a walk and Summer Sutton hitting a single. With one out, Blankenship and McFarland hit consecutive singles to score three runs. Bakken hit a single that scored another run with two outs before the game ended on a strikeout.
Bakken went 4 for 5 with four RBI. McFarland drove in two runs, going 2 for 3, while Blankenship, who was 3 for 5, and Funderburk each finished with one RBI.
Sutton went 2 for 4.
The Tornadoes were coming off an opening week in which they won three games by mercy rule. After a 17-1 win over Lake Weir (which was covered in the Feb. 24 issues of the Telegraph-Times-Monitor), Bradford got four RBI from Bakken in defeating visiting Old Plank Christian Academy 11-1 in five innings on Feb. 22.
It was a 1-1 game before the Tornadoes scored three in the bottom of the third inning as Macey Padgett, Funderburk and Spratlin each drove in a run.
A two-run homer by Bakken and an RBI double by Funderburk (her second) put Bradford up 7-1 in the fourth.
Bakken, who went 2 for 3, drove in two runs with a single as part of a four-run fifth inning. The other two runs scored on error.
Funderburk went 2 for 2 with two RBI, while McFarland went 3 for 4.
Padgett and Spratlin each had one RBI.
Spratlin started in the circle, giving up one run on one hit and two walks in three innings.
Blankenship threw the final two innings, giving up one hit and one walk.
On Feb. 25, Bakken homered for the second straight game, while Blankenship hit three RBI singles in the Tornadoes’ 16-0, four-inning win over host Ed White.
Bradford took advantage of its base running early, with Blankenship, McFarland and Padgett all scoring on steals of home as part of a four-run first inning. Funderburk scored the fourth run on a wild pitch.
It was an 8-0 game when the Tornadoes scored eight runs in the fourth, which included a solo homer by Bakken and three runs scoring on singles by Blankenship and Reddish. Two runs scored on errors, while another two scored on passed balls.
Blankenship went 4 for 4 with three RBI, while Bakken and Reddish each had two RBI. McFarland went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Kiersten Hodges and Amber Wynn each hit a double.
Blankenship started in the circle, giving up one hit before exiting after the second out in the second inning.
Bakken finished it out, giving up three hits and striking out five of the 10 batters she faced.
The Tornadoes travel to play Interlachen on Thursday, March 3, at 7 p.m. Bradford then travels to play Suwannee on Friday, March 4, at 7 p.m.
