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Gage lifts Timberjacks past Bears By DAVID DAUGHERTY It was called an emergency start, but for Matt Gage, the only emergency call sent out was directed at the Yakima hitters. Gage, a lanky right-hander from Eastern Illinois University, scattered five hits over seven innings to help the Southern Oregon Timberjacks to a 10-1 Northwest League victory over the Northern Division leading Bears Sunday night at Miles Field. The victory improved the Timberjacks Southern Division-leading record to 17-12, 3 games in front of second place Portland, which dropped a 16-13 decision to Boise on Sunday night. It also sets the stage for a key three game series with the Rockies that starts tonight in Portland. Normally a relief pitcher, Gage replaced Sunday's scheduled starter Shane Bazzell, who was promoted to Visalia of the California League Sunday afternoon after posting 3-1 mark and a 1.86 ERA during his brief stint in Medford. The Timberjacks didn't miss a beat. "I just went out and got guys out," said Gage, who improved his record to 5-2. "Wins and losses are not what this level of pro ball is for. I'm just trying to show I belong." Yakima spotted the Timberjacks and Gage two runs in the opening frame off starter Randy Hadden thanks in large part to third baseman Ray Ruiz, who made consecutive throwing errors. With one out and runners on the corners, Southern Oregon first baseman Jorge Soto hit a grounder tailor-made to be an inning ending double play. But Ruiz tossed the ball into right field allowing leadoff hitter G.W. Keller, who walked to lead off the inning, to score the game's first run. It was deja vu all over again for Ruiz, when T-jacks' center fielder Kirk Asche followed Soto with an identical ground ball that Ruiz fielded cleanly, but threw wildly to second allowing Mike Lockwood to trot home with a 2-0 Southern Oregon advantage on only one hit. Lockwood's base hit also extended his current hitting streak to 14 games. He finished the night with two hits. The Timberjacks kept up the offensive pressure off Hadden in the second inning, as Matt Howe deposited right handers first offering of the inning over the scoreboard in left-center field for a 3-0 lead. A Lockwood RBI groundout four batters later made it 4-0 at the end of two. With a four-run cushion, Gage settled in and made things look relatively easy, shutting out the Bears over 6 innings before giving up a solo homer to Ruiz in the seventh. "I really didn't have my off-speed stuff tonight," said Gage, who threw a minuscule 79 pitches in his seven innings of work. "I was just trying to get every hitter out in three pitches. It worked tonight." In fact, Gage only went to three balls in the count twice on the night, while going only to 13 pitches in an inning twice. "There was no pressure to hold them (Yakima) to zero tonight," said the pitcher. "I knew I didn't have to be perfect." "He took a spot-start and did an unbelievable job," said Southern Oregon manager Greg Sparks. "He pitched lights out!" Gage's Northwest League success comes on the heals of a disappointing college season at Eastern Illinois. Despite his college team's victorious run through the Ohio Valley Conference and into the the NCAA tournament. Gage credits his turnaround to switching from throwing a curveball to a slider. After the change in the second half of the college season, Gage posted two wins and a save, helping Eastern Illinois to a win over the University of Arizona in the NCAA regionals."I just had no control of my curveball in college," said Gage. "With an aluminum bat you just can't throw fastballs. Once I switched to the slider it made all the difference." It was a major difference on Sunday, as Gage baffled one Yakima batter after another. In his seven innings of action, Gage struck out just two, but continued to get hitter after after to hit the ball right at the T-jacks' defense. "His effort (Gage) really wasn't surprising," said Sparks. "Hopefully the other pitchers were watching to see how easy things can be when you throw strikes." The Timberjacks posted two more runs in the sixth on an RBI double from Keller and an RBI from Jason Clements. Brad Henderson, who tallied three hits on the night increased the lead to 7-1 in the seventh with an RBI single, while the winning margin was reached in the eighth on RBI singles from Jeremy Schied and Jose De La Cruz and a Henderson sacrifice fly. De La Cruz, who was moved down from Visalia after catcher Aaron Nieckula's call-up, collected two hits including a double and an RBI in his T-jack debut. "Tonight was awesome," said Sparks. "Just to watch a game and relax was enjoyable. It was really nice to go into the ninth with a nine run lead." Alex Negron, who came on in relief of Gage in the eighth, wrapped things up with two innings of scoreless relief, including four strikeouts. Tonight's game at Civic Stadium in Portland is the start of a six-game home-and-home series between the Rockies and the Timberjacks. The final three games of the series will wrap up at Miles Field starting Thursday night. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.