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Panthers blow away North Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman The South Medford baseball team took its lumps as the Panthers challenged some of the state�s top high school teams prior to the start of Southern Oregon Conference play. But the losses only served to toughen up the Panthers as they began to play for keeps. South took North Medford�s best shot twice Saturday afternoon at Miles Field, but rallied to take both ends of a doubleheader from the defending conference champion, 8-5 and 6-5 in eight innings. The sweep improved South to 6-0 in the SOC and 9-7 overall. North Medford fell to 3-3 in the SOC and 8-6 overall. "Every time they scored, we answered," South Medford coach Pete Whisler said. "Our kids haven�t given up. We�re playing well right now, and our pitching has been good all year." Senior right-hander Matt Skundrick went the distance to pick up the win in the opener, then relieved Clint Rodreick in the top of the seventh in Game 2 as he improved to 6-2 on the season and 4-0 in conference. "Matt�s as good as anybody in the state," Whisler said. "He proved it today." The Panthers twice came from behind in the second game. South tied it in the bottom of the seventh when Skundrick and Dave Henneman walked and Matt Smith slapped a two-out single between short and third for an RBI single. South pushed the winning run across in the eighth when Jimmie Maddox was hit by Evan McArthur�s 0-1 pitch with the bases loaded to force Ryan Norris home with the winning run. "That was just unfortunate," said North Medford coach Brett Wolfe. "He made a good pitch that just tailed in." McArthur and Devon Zupan doubled in the top of the fourth inning as North took a 4-0 lead. But South scored three in the bottom of the fourth and tied it in the fifth when Skundrick singled home Ryan Heil. Heil had three hits and two RBIs, while Henneman and Smith had two hits and two RBIs apiece. In the first game, South Medford erased a 5-1 deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Panthers hit through the order, collecting six hits and drawing a walk. Heil highlighted the rally with a one-out, two-run double to left-center field. Henneman and Smith also had RBIs in the inning. "I thought we played two good ballgames," said Wolfe. "Our kids were well-prepared and played their hearts out today. That�s just baseball. (South) just came out on top. "We had some opportunities. Our kids hit the ball hard, but they just made some great plays." FIRST GAME North Medford......................................002 300 0 � 5 6 1 South Medford.....................................001 502 x� 8 10 4 Kircher and Folsom; Skundrick and Smith. W � Skundrick (5-2). L � Kircher (4-1). 2B � NM: Folsom, McArthur; SM: Heil. 3B � NM: Ouellette. SECOND GAME North Medford....................................000 400 10 � 5 6 2 South Medford...................................000 310 11 � 6 9 2 Butler, McArthur (7) and Folsom; Rodreick, Skundrick (7) and Smith. W � Skundrick (6-2). L McArthur (0-1). 2B � NM: McArthur, Zupan. SM: Skundrick, McCollum. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.