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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, November 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 25, 2004 Mendenhall, Panthers on winning end of 1-0 By ROB MCCALLUM Mail Tribune Entering the seventh inning of its first-round state playoff game Monday against Hood River Valley, South Medford had gone 29 innings without scoring. When the Panthers (20-7) finally broke through, it was all they needed to beat the Eagles 1-0 at Fagone Field and advance to the Class 4A second round. It was the fourth straight 1-0 game South played, but the previous three were losses. "We hadn’t gotten a run for quite some time, so it felt pretty good," said Panther coach Dan Marshall. "In fastpitch softball, usually whoever blinks first loses. And we didn’t make any mistakes." South Medford got its run in the bottom of the seventh when second baseman Jonni Byrne singled home Bethany Stousland for the game-winner. "I was pretty nervous," Byrne said. "I got down to two strikes and just said to myself, ‘You’ve got to hit this one, you’ve got to connect.’" Advertisement The hit broke up a pitchers’ duel between South’s Jen Mendenhall and the Eagles’ Chelsey Elliott. Mendenhall gave up only two hits and struck out 13, including striking out the side in the top of the fifth. Coming into the seventh, the Panthers had only three base runners as Elliott stifled the South Medford offense, retiring 10 straight batters through the middle innings. But Stousland led off the seventh by reaching on an error. The dropped ball by right fielder Maria Martinez of the Eagles was her first error of the season. Senior shortstop Katie Kaufman moved Stousland to second with a sacrifice bunt, and a passed ball allowed Stousland to get to third. With first base open and Panther cleanup hitter Simone Hubbard coming to the plate, Hood River intentionally walked the sophomore catcher. "They probably had some stats on (Hubbard) and didn’t want her to do any damage," Marshall said. "It’s a compliment to her." Pinch runner Alyssa Dixon took away the double-play opportunity by stealing second, and Christin Palazzolo bunted to load the bases. Originally intended to score Stousland, the bunt went up the third-base line, holding her at third. Byrne then took Elliott’s 1-2 pitch and sent a line drive up the middle, and Stousland safely walked home. "When you get runners on, you put pressure on them," Marshall said. "The game changes. We were able to do that and it won the game for us." South survived a scare in the top half of the inning, when Hood River Valley’s Meghan Flem led off with a single and made it to third on two sacrifices. But Mendenhall struck out Ashley Delepine to end the threat. "We just got it done today," Mendenhall said. "I felt like my speed was getting faster, and I was hitting my spots. We just had to step up the defense." "She’s lost some games where we’ve given up only one run," Marshall said. "She deserve’s better, and she did a great job today." For Hood River Valley (16-10), the game was another disappointing trip to Southern Oregon in the first round of the playoffs. The Eagles lost to North Medford 9-0 last season and 1-0 in 1997. "They just got the hits when they needed them," Eagle coach Phil Hukari said. "We didn’t hit, but that was more (Mendenhall’s) pitching than anything else." The Panthers’ only other hit of the day was in the sixth, but Jackie Chaplin tried to turn her single into a double and was thrown out at second. Chaplin injured her right shoulder sliding into the base but returned to the field the next inning after being checked by the trainer. The win is South’s first in the playoffs since 1994 after losing in the first round last season. "It’s good that we could get a win in the first round," Marshall said. "Just like hitting the ball, winning is contagious." South Medford advances to play at Churchill of Eugene on Wednesday. Hood River Valley....................000 000 0 — 0 2 1 South Medford.........................000 000 1 — 1 3 0 Elliott and Friend; Mendenhall and Hubbard. W — Mendenhall (12-4). L — Hubbard. 2B — HRV: Connors. 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