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SUNNY Temp: 50 °F Wind: ENE at 3 mph Friday, June 7, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend May 25, 2002 North blanks Sprague, advances to semifinals By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune SALEM — When Britney Hillyer hammered a two-out, two-run double to the left-center field gap in the top of first inning, it was all over. Keri Sevano didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning and the offense tacked on three more runs in the fourth as the North Medford softball team steamrolled Sprague, 5-0, at Sprague High on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Class 4A state playoffs. The Black Tornado (24-5 overall) will play host to Central Catholic, a 4-2 winner Friday over No. 1-ranked Canby, Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Fagone Field for a spot in next Saturday’s championship game at Erv Lind Stadium in Portland. Hillyer’s first-inning smash did more than drive home Brandi Paxton and Corey Whitaker to hand North a 2-0 lead. It gave the fifth-ranked Tornado reason to relax and Sevano plenty of room to work with, considering her 17-1 record and ERA of 0.67 entering the game. As it would turn out, Hillyer’s double was curtains for the seventh-ranked Olympians (22-6). "I’ve been hitting ‘em right at people," said Hillyer, a three-time all-Southern Oregon Conference catcher who had been mired in a hitting slump. "A lot of the coaches had been talking to me, telling me, ‘Just touch the ball. The rest will do the rest.’ And that’s what happened on the double. "Coach (Larry Binney) taught us that the first team to relax wins. And once we got those two runs, we relaxed and just played the game like we should be." With the shutout, Sevano improved to a sparkling 18-1, including 3-0 in the postseason. The SOC player of the year limited Sprague to two baserunners over the first five innings and gave up just three singles in all. She struck out seven, hit one batter and, basically, kept doing what she’s been doing in handcuffing every North opponent’s attack. "We expected going in ... it would be a one-run ballgame," said Sevano, a junior who has now been touched in the playoffs for only one run in 19 innings. That inning total climbs to 25 if you factor in a spotless first-round effort against Sunset which was washed away by rain. "To get two in the first inning in this round, the third round, was pretty relaxing for me and I think for the whole team." With each victory, the Tornado continues to stave off Binney’s impending retirement — not that the 20th-year North head coach minds. "They’re treating me real good," said Binney, who is seeking to cap his Tornado tenure with a fourth state championship. For the second time in its three playoff wins, North defeated an opposing pitcher who was her respective league’s player of the year. In the first round, it was Sunset’s Michelle Hext. In the second, West Linn’s Crystal Rea. This time, it was the Olympians’ Lorilyn Wilson, coming off nine shutout innings in Sprague’s 1-0 second-round victory over North Eugene on Thursday. Wilson, who led the Olympians to a 17-1 mark for the Valley League title, pitched a complete game Friday, giving up six hits, two walks and three earned runs while striking out nine. "That girl only had one inning that North Eugene challenged (Thursday), and then all of a sudden, ‘Bang.’ For us to get two runs, that, psychologically, was real big for us," said Binney, whose team beat Sprague, 3-2, in nine innings earlier this season. Binney credited assistant coach Brent Barry and his wife, Sara, with providing a detailed scouting report after they watched the Olympians’ game Thursday. "We knew how we were gonna pitch every girl in the lineup," Binney said. "And we knew we had to lay off that drop ball ... and wait for our pitch (against Wilson)." Deni Rowley’s leadoff single and Paxton’s one-out base hit set the table for Hillyer’s first-inning blast. In the fourth, Sevano drew a one-out walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Rachelle Willben. Laura Tarkon followed with a triple over Sprague right fielder Nicole Hadden’s head to score Willben. Pinch-hitter Krystal Young next reached on an error by Olympians’ first baseman Lydia Holm, and Rowley got to first on a fielder’s choice that wiped out Tarkon at the plate. With two outs, Beth Morrill grounded to Sprague third baseman Lindsey Leisinger, but the throw drifted and ricocheted off Morrill’s helmet to allow both Young’s pinch-runner, Chrystal Brown, and Rowley to race home and make it 5-0. The Olympians’ only threat came in the sixth, when Molly Barnes and Amie Morris singled for Sprague’s first two hits. With two on and two outs, up stepped Wilson, the Olympians’ cleanup hitter. But Sevano induced a pop-up to shortstop Darcy Cordell with a 1-0 riseball. That may have cut Sprague’s remaining outs to three, but third-year Olympians head coach Brad Soto said the tide had permanently turned much earlier. "It’s hard to play from behind," Soto said. "Medford came out, put the pressure on and got (Hillyer’s) hit in the first. And anytime you can get the lead, it’s tough to come back." North Medford..................................200 300 0 — 5 6 2 Sprague.............................................000 000 0 — 0 3 3 Sevano and Hillyer; Wilson and Morris. W — Sevano (18-1). L — Wilson. 2B — NM: Hillyer. 3B — NM: Tarkon. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S