The Bradford Tornadoes will head out to square off against the ED White Commanders at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Bradford came into this matchup off a tough seven-run defeat on Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Duval Charter by a score of 6-4 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Tornadoes have suffered since March 31, 2025.
Ryland Rike
| 03/24/26 vs Duval Charter | 2 |
| 03/16/26 vs Keystone Heights | 1 |
| 03/10/26 vs Baker County | 0 |
Ryland Rike put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run.
In other batting news, Kaedan Parks was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Breion Johnson also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Meanwhile, ED White hadn't done well against Riverside recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Commanders put the hurt on the Generals with a sharp 11-4 victory. Considering the Commanders have won ten matchups by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Bradford, ED White also got a great game from a two-way player: Jachob Kaplitz. He didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Kaplitz was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nathan LaRosa, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in February. Marion Laguerre was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
ED White pushed their record up to 11-4 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.4 runs over those games. As for Bradford, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-9 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bradford has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like ED White struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
