Bradley Pitches Gem Against Halls, 6-4

Jefferson County High School vs. Halls High School
Staff Photo by Mike Stanley, Jefferson County Post Sports

The Jefferson County baseball team does not have any seniors on the roster. Friday afternoon, all they needed was freshman Matt Bradley. The freshman retired 20 of the 29 batters that he faced and only allowed 7 hits in seven innings. Bradley wasn’t the only Patriot leading the way for Jefferson County. Sophomore Wade Stinson would go 2-3 at the plate with a single, double, and strikeout.

Jefferson County would get things started early, when leadoff batter Logan Hayes hit a single to right centerfield. Trevor Whitley would be hit by what would have been ball four in his at bat, and the Patriots would be in business with runners at first and second. Wade Stinson would single and knock in two runs and the Patriots would take a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the first. For Halls their leadoff would reach base on an error and later score on a single to make it 2-1 after one inning of play. Jefferson County would go three up, three down in the second as Halls would score one more in the bottom half. The score was all knotted at 2-2 after just two innings. Both teams would only get three plate appearances in the third and the score was still tied at 2. Jefferson County would “Stomp The Plate” four times in the top of the fourth inning, while Halls would not score and the Pats would lead 6-2 after four. Halls would close it to 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh, but a fly out to centerfield would end any chance of a Red Devil comeback and end the game, 6-4.

Jefferson County Head Coach Gaines Cox was seemingly pleased with his team’s effort, “The effort was there in spurts.” With the fourth inning being the difference, Cox says “I was very glad to see us put up a crooked number in the fourth, We put a lot of quality at bats back together, as well as executed a squeeze.” Cox on his freshman pitcher “I’m very happy for Matt Bradley, he battled and didn’t want to be taken out of the game in the 5th inning when Coach Reese went out.” He would close saying. “We just made some big plays when we needed them especially in the 6th inning.”