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CLOUDY Temp: 58 °F Wind: WNW at 7 mph Saturday, June 1, 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 29, 2002 North Medford players, from left, Corey Whitaker, Beth Rathburn, Darcy Cordell, Keri Sevano and Beth Morrill celebrate Tuesday's win. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Four down, one to go North’s storybook season moves to final chapter as Tornado advances to 4A championship game By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune "Mighty Ducks," eat your heart out: Legendary coach comes back for one more season after one-year retirement. Young squad enters season with questions brimming. Competition feels dynasty is finally susceptible. After so-so start, team comes together to win eighth straight conference championship. Squad then peaks at perfect time, surpassing all expectations — except its own — to advance all the way to the state championship game. That is the Disney-esque script the North Medford High softball team has written this spring, with Tuesday’s 4-1, Class 4A semifinal victory over Central Catholic at Fagone Field the crowning achievement to this point. The Black Tornado will seek a happy ending to its fairy-tale ride on Saturday at Erv Lind Stadium in Portland, where fifth-ranked North (25-5 overall) meets fourth-ranked Springfield at 4 p.m. for all the marbles. "This is probably the most improved team that we’ve ever had," said Larry Binney, the 20th-year Tornado head coach who is aiming for his fourth state title in his fifth championship-game appearance with North. "We weren’t real good early. But the girls, they work really hard in practice. They’re really receptive in listening to all our coaches. And they believe they’re gonna win. They have just an unbelievable belief — ‘Hey, we’re gonna win. Every time out now.’ They feel really good about themselves." Having Keri Sevano mowing down opposing hitters from the pitcher’s mound helps fuel the Tornado’s confidence. The junior ace improved to 19-1 overall and 4-0 in the postseason with a one-hit complete game on Tuesday. She struck out the first five Rams she faced and finished with nine strikeouts and two walks. Mindy O’Malley’s inside-the-park home run in the top of the fourth inning was the only noise Central Catholic made against Sevano, whose ERA is 0.66 for the season and 0.54 in four playoff games. "It’s all a blur to me," said Sevano, the Southern Oregon Conference player of the year. "It feels really good right now. "Britney (Hillyer) was calling an awesome game back there, and I just pitched it where she wanted me to." North — which has not been to the championship game since 1998, when it completed a three-year run of title-contest appearances with a 4-0 victory over Tualatin — staked Sevano to an early 3-0 edge with one run in the first and two more in the second. Leadoff hitter Deni Rowley generated the first run, getting on with a bunt single before stealing second base. Rowley then took off for third and scored as Rams catcher Carly Falbo’s throw traveled into left field when nobody covered the bag. The Central Catholic infield was playing in, anticipating a bunt. Hillyer started off the second inning with a line-drive single to left field. Darcy Cordell followed with an infield single, and both she and Chrystal Brown, Hillyer’s pinch-runner, moved up a base on a double steal. Brown came in to score when a pitch from Rams starter Brittany Reeves got away from Falbo. Cordell, who advanced to third on Falbo’s passed ball, trotted home when Krystal Young delivered a two-out base hit up the middle. "We have a little saying that Larry says before the game, and I think that’s what’s getting us going," said Hillyer, who was a first-team all-SOC catcher for the third straight spring as one of only four Tornado seniors. "Score early." Sevano didn’t allow a baserunner until O’Malley’s smash to lead off the fourth. The senior second baseman, who is headed to the University of Arkansas’ softball program next year, drilled an 0-1 pitch all the way to the center-field fence. She raced around the bases and slid headfirst into home ahead of the relay from Brandi Paxton to Cordell to Hillyer. Sevano shrugged off the run, retiring the next six in a row before issuing a leadoff walk to Whitney Cave in the sixth. After advancing to second on Falbo’s sacrifice bunt, Cave was cut down by a good showing of fielding awareness from Sevano. Gloving O’Malley’s comebacker, Sevano turned, caught Cave off second base and ran toward Central Catholic’s senior right fielder. When Cave broke toward third, Sevano threw to her third baseman, Corey Whitaker, who initially dropped the ball before firing to shortstop Cordell to tag out Cave as she slid back into second. North added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Laura Tarkon led off, and when her high fly ball was misplayed by Cave in right, Tarkon cruised into third base. She scored on a wild pitch from Chelsea Corrado, who relieved Reeves to start the fifth. In the Rams’ final at-bat, Carrie Rom managed to draw a two-out walk, but pinch-runner Michelle Harrison was promptly picked off first by a Hillyer-to-Tarkon connection. Jessica Joachims’ ground ball to Whitaker sealed the Tornado’s victory. "This is kind of uncanny how this has all worked out," said Binney, who coached Medford High to a state title in 1984 and North to a co-championship with Beaverton in ‘97. "But I’m even happier for the girls because they’re the ones who get the job done on the field. "I couldn’t be any prouder of the team." Central Catholic .............................. 000 100 0 — 1 1 3 North Medford ................................. 120 001 x — 4 5 0 Reeves, Corrado (5) and Falbo; Sevano and Hillyer. W — Sevano (19-1). L — Reeves (12-1). HR — CC: O’Malley. 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