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Tornado takes a tumble in opener Saxons pin 4-0 loss on SOC champs By GREG STILES Blistering late-May temperatures have baked more than one North Medford playoff opponent's state softball title hopes. The stage was set once again Tuesday afternoon as the mercury crested at 100 degrees at Fagone Field. Three South Salem freshmen pitchers combined to blank No. 4-ranked North Medford, 4-0, on four hits in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs. "This is probably the biggest win this school has ever had in the playoffs," said sixth-year South Salem coach Scott McCormick. "We've beaten a No. 2 team before, but not a team like this in the playoffs." The unranked Saxons (20-9) advance to Friday's second round against Glencoe, a 4-0 winner over Franklin. North Medford, the Southern Oregon Conference champion, finished 22-5. Tuesday's loss ended a string of six years in which the Tornado had at least reached the quarterfinals. "There is a lot of tradition here and the kids were pumped up for the game," McCormick said. "But a lot of these kids have played (Amateur Softball Association) games here before, so the mystique isn't what it used to be." Still, wary of what the heat could do to a Willamette Valley team, McCormick hedged his pitching bets. "We wanted to change our look every couple of innings," McCormick said. "Our first pitcher (Christine Todd) was suffering heat stroke and headaches. So we went with Becky Hibner, even though she wasn't warmed up." Hibner tossed the fourth and fifth innings before giving way to Laura Cusick, who set down the final six batters she faced after allowing a lead-off single to Tai Kinney. The Saxons allowed just 10 runs in 18 Valley League games and were in first place before Cusick suffered an injury that sidelined her the second half of league play. But the Saxons had struggled with their bats. Tuesday, South Salem showed it could find the holes. Catcher Julie Hibner opened the second inning, looping a hit up the middle and courtesy runner Amber Stefani moved to second when Brooke Comstock blooped a hit behind third base. Becky Hibner sacrificed the runners to second and third and one out later designated hitter Holly Byerley singled to left field, giving South Salem a 1-0 advantage. "That was huge, that was the turning point," South Salem third baseman Amanda Luukinen said. "I don't think we were really expecting something like that in the first or second inning. But at some point, we knew we were going to score. To score that early was awesome." As it turned out, it was all the offense the Saxons needed as the Tornado either hit the ball right at fielders or just outside the chalk foul line. "That first run or first runner on can change a lot of things," North Medford coach Sara Barry said. "There's a belief you can do it and momentum takes over from there." North's best chance actually came in the bottom of the second inning when Haley Varley reached on Todd's fielding error and took second when Amy Allen singled up the middle. But Todd got Corey Whitaker to bounce into a force at second base, leaving runners at the corners. The Saxons got out of the inning when pinch-runner Darcy Cordell was thrown out trying to steal second. "We were hitting the ball right at people or hitting it hard and it was ricocheting right to people," Barry said. The Saxons doubled their advantage in the sixth inning as the Tornado committed a pair of errors. Morgan Bostwick reached when Kinney's throw to first was high, was sacrificed to second and moved to third on Comstock's base hit. Cordell's strong throw to the plate momentarily kept Bostwick at third. But when Becky Hibner laid down a squeeze bunt, North pitcher Steph Coe's throw to first was off the mark, and Bostwick scored without a play. Luukinen doubled home two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. "We knew South Salem played great defense," Barry said. "But what we didn't see was how well they hit the ball and they showed that today." South Salem......................................... 010 001 2 - 4 8 2 North Medford.....................................000 000 0 - 0 4 3 Todd, B. Hibner (4), Cusick (6) and J. Hibner; Coe and Hillyer. W - B. Hibner. L - Coe (9-3). 2B - SS: Luukinen. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.