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McArthur just misses perfect game as Tornado blows past Panthers By TED BURNHAM for the Mail Tribune One little bobble. That was all that separated North Medford pitcher Evan McArthur from a perfect game on Saturday afternoon as the Black Tornado defeated South Medford, 2-0, in the second game of a doubleheader at Miles Field. McArthur, backed up by an impeccable North defense, was one out away from pitching a perfect game when a grounder hit by the Panthers' Matt Smith slid through the soggy field and was bobbled by second baseman Jeff Adams, who tossed it to first base a split-second too late. While a few dozen fans groaned, McArthur (4-0) kept his composure and struck out South's Jeremy Frantz , who had hit a solo home run off Brent Kircher in the previous game. It was McArthur's first no-hitter. North won the first game, 6-1, to sweep South (5-9-1 overall). The Black Tornado, tied for the coaches' poll No. 1 ranking in the state among Class 4A teams, now boasts a 14-1 overall record and is 5-1 in Southern Oregon Conference play. The Panthers fell to 1-5 in the SOC with the losses. "It's awesome to go out against South like that," McArthur said. North head coach Brett Wolfe said the single defensive mistake could not distract the Tornado's will to win, nor the team's mission to win the SOC and advance in the Class 4A state tournament. "Our whole team was more concerned about trying to win that second ballgame," Wolfe said. "It was only 2-0 at the time and the kid at the plate (Frantz) hit a home run earlier ... We were just trying to make some good pitches to get out of the game. "Our kids bounced right back and they know that getting two wins is more important." McArthur struck out seven South batters and fielded five times to help his cause. Wolfe said McArthur has "good control and can locate his pitches." The tall senior has a veritable arsenal of pitches to choose from and he used most of them to throw the no-hitter. "He's got a knuckleball and a circle change," Wolfe explained. "He likes to throw that on occasion so hitters can't sit on his other pitchers. "He likes to mix those up and throw them out of the zone and maybe get some guys to chase some pitches, which is something he has worked hard on." McArthur said his "arm is feeling strong." "I am hitting my spots with all my pitches and I have a good defense backing me up," he said. "My knuckleball, when it's on, it can do anything. It can drop. It can slide to the left, it can go to the right." While North made it impossible for South to get a hit, South pitcher Clint Rodreick (3-3) hardly made it easy on the Black Tornado, which managed just three hits. North's two runs came in the bottom of the second inning. Jimmy Ulrey hit into a fielder's choice, which allowed Dustin Butler to score. Beau Hovland later scored Russ Vandell. J.C. Rowley added a hit in the fifth. In the first game, Brent Kircher (4-1) pitched a two-hitter and five Black Tornado batters recorded hits. South struck first on a second-inning solo homer by Frantz, but North came back to go up, 4-1, after the third inning. In the bottom of the third, Brett Timmerman (1-for-2, two RBIs) doubled to score McArthur and Butler, and Hovland singled to score Timmerman. North added runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cement the victory. Wolfe said North is dedicated. "Our kids work pretty hard throughout the year," he said. "We have good athletes in good spots who have good knowledge of the game. The chemistry and the intangibles are all there for us." South Medford head coach Steve Antich was impressed with North. "When the (North) guys get on base, they get them in," Antich said. "When they need a bunt, they make the bunt happen. When they need a hit they get the hit. They didn't make many mistakes today. And their pitches are around the zone. Those two guys (McArthur and Kircher) shut us down." Antich said the Panthers are "a lot better than our record." "We have scored runs all season," he said. "Except for today, we have had a lead into the (fifth inning) in all of our losses. "Even though we lost, we can use this to get better. We were toe-to-toe. Our pitchers stepped up today big-time. "Here we had two pitchers' duels and our offense wasn't there." The Black Tornado travels Saturday to face Roseburg. South plays Ashland. FIRST GAME South Medford ................................ 010 000 0 - 1 2 2 North Medford ................................. 013 011 x - 6 7 0 McCollum and M. Smith; Kircher and Folsom. W - Kircher (4-1). L - McCollum (0-4). 2B - NM: Butler, Timmerman. HR - SM: Frantz. SECOND GAME South Medford ................................ 000 000 0 - 0 0 1 North Medford ................................. 020 000 x - 2 3 1 Rodreick and M. Smith; McArthur and Folsom. W - McArthur (4-0). L - Rodreick (3-3). Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.