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North sweeps away South By GREG STILES Mail Tribune The transition from Skyline Conference player of the year to being a new face on perennial Southern Oregon Conference softball power North Medford's roster has provided a challenge for Krystal Young. Not only is the former Henley High star adjusting to the No. 2 pitching role behind Keri Sevano, but when Young steps to the plate, she is facing what Black Tornado coach Larry Binney considers the best overall collection of pitchers the SOC has seen to date. Young is holding her own on both accounts. The senior right-hander turned in a sterling performance in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, checking South Medford on four hits as the sixth-ranked Tornado completed a 7-0, 3-1 SOC sweep at Fagone Field. North, which picked up a three-hit shutout from Sevano in the opener, improved to 5-1 in conference and 8-3 overall, while South slipped to 2-4 and 8-8. "The SOC is tougher compared to the Skyline, but I have a lot better team behind me," Young said. "Right now, I'm just going out and doing my own thing. I'm not trying to impress anybody. I just want to have a winning season and want to make this transfer from Henley to North a good one." Beyond what she does in the pitching circle or at first base, Young's experience has to come in handy for a team that graduated its entire infield last June and has just three other seniors. "Having Krystal come over has given us a solid 1-2 pitching punch and another bat in the lineup," Binney said. Young hit South leadoff hitter Jackie Chaplin in the first inning, then retired 13 straight batters before surrendering back-to-back singles to Amanda Blair and Erica Corns in the fifth inning. But with runners on second and third, Young escaped when she got Bethany Stousland to bounce a ball back to the circle. South finally ended a string of 19 straight scoreless innings in the seventh when Torri Metcalf lashed a double down the left-field line and then scored on a double to right field by Corns. "I know I have better control of my pitches than before," Young said. "I've just got to avoid tipping off my pitches or screwing up and put a pitch down the middle. They're good enough hitters that they're going to jump on it when that happens." The Tornado staked Young to a 1-0 lead in the first when Brittany Hillyer doubled home Brandi Paxton. Deni Rowley made it 2-0 in the fourth when she reached on an error and scored on a two-out single up the middle by Darcy Cordell. North added an insurance run in the fifth when Young singled and courtesy runner Beth Rathburn scored on an error. The soggy afternoon contributed to sloppy play. The Panthers were guilty of five errors, which didn't help South's cause to end a string of 15 conference defeats to the Tornado, dating back to 1994. "We weren't out to beat them today," said first-year South coach Greg Baker. "We were out not to beat ourselves with our hitting and errors. "We're at a crossroads in this program. In my thinking, if you lose a game by three or less runs, it's the coaches' fault. As coaches, we have to get better." In the first game, the Tornado bats collectively came alive in the fourth inning as North turned a 1-0 advantage into a seven-run advantage. Paxton, Hillyer and Corey Whitaker began with consecutive singles. Two outs later, Young and Megan Louie stroked singles and Morril doubled. "We like to jump on people and not even given them a prayer," Whitaker said. FIRST GAME North Medford.................................010 510 1 - 7 12 2 South Medford..................................000 000 0 - 0 3 3 Sevano and Hillyer; Byrne and Conley. W - Sevano (5-0). L - Byrne (6-3). 2B - NM: Morril, Rowley. SECOND GAME North Medford...................................100 110 0 - 3 4 0 South Medford..................................000 000 1 - 1 4 2 Young and Hillyer; Byrne, Mendenhall (4) and Conley. W - Young (2-1). L - Byrne (6-4). 2B - NM: Hillyer; SM: Metcalf, Corns. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.