Baseball Recap: Palatka Finds Playoff Glory Versus Bradford

Panthers

Margin (Wins)

03/25/25 vs Eastside	18
04/15/25 vs Bradford	16
04/01/25 vs Peniel Baptist Academy	16
03/31/25 @ Hawthorne	15
03/26/25 vs P.K. Yonge	11

Palatka had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They were the clear victors by a 17-1 margin over the Bradford Tornadoes on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Paxton Sweat made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

In other batting news, Jacob Gaskin and Tanner Akers did most of the damage at the plate: Gaskin scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2, while Akers went 3-for-4 with five RBI and two runs. Those five RBI gave Akers a new career-high. Ryan Surrency was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.

Palatka always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .552. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bradford only posted an OBP of .300.

The win was the tenth in a row for Palatka, bringing their record up to 17-8. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Bradford, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 11-13 record this season.

Palatka will take on Santa Fe at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Panthers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Raiders have averaged an impressive 7 runs per game this season. Bradford does not have any more games scheduled as of now.