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Photo by Andy Atkinson North's Dan Bruce turns two despite pressure from South runner Dave Alonzo. DeClerck drives North to sweep By KRIS HENRY North Medford senior Steve DeClerck knew what his team was capable of prior to Saturday's doubleheader against South Medford. DeClerck passed that information along to North coach Brett Wolfe, then spent the rest of the afternoon informing everyone else at Miles Field of the Black Tornado's intentions. "Steve DeClerck talked to me before the first ballgame and said the team was ready to play," Wolfe said. "It turns out he was right." Remaining true to his word, DeClerck drilled two home runs in the opener and scored the winning run in the nightcap to help North sweep South in Southern Oregon Conference baseball. "You could just see it in their faces," DeClerck said of the tip-off to his teammates' readiness. Each of those faces were decorated with smiles after the Black Tornado needed only five innings to whip South in the opener, 11-1, and completed the sweep with a 2-1 win in the second game. "Getting the sweep was huge," said DeClerck, who improved his SOC batting average to .700 (14-for-20). "That really puts us on top." With the win, North Medford improved to 13-2 overall and 5-1 in conference. South Medford dropped to 8-9 overall and 2-4 in SOC play. The Black Tornado remained in the thick of the SOC race. It's one game behind unbeaten Crater and tied with Eagle Point. The strength of North Medford shined through early and often in the opener as the Black Tornado rapped 11 hits, including three homers, in five innings. North chipped away for three runs in the first inning of South pitcher Tony Conklin, then chased the Panther hurler in the third with DeClerck's solo shot to left and Jason Brownell's two-run homer. The Black Tornado stretched its lead to 10-1 with three runs in the fourth, highlighted by DeClerck's two-run homer to left. The blow marked the first time in DeClerck's high school career that he has homered twice in one game. With the offensive attack in good hands, pitcher Jarred Pagnini turned his attentions to defense -- allowing only six hits with five strikeouts in improving to 4-0. Pagnini has 35 strikeouts and no walks in his last 25 innings. Scoring was harder to come by in the nightcap as Mayben for North and South's Graham Foster matched one another's effective pitching. Charlie Jensen hit an RBI triple in the second inning to put the Tornado ahead 1-0. DeClerck added another run in the third after drawing a walk and then maneuvering all the way around the bases on two wild pitches. South made things interesting with one out in the top of the seventh as Jimmie Maddox reached safely on an error. Foster followed with a blooper to short right field that eluded the glove of second baseman Dan Bruce. With runners at first and second, Pagnini fielded a grounder by Brent Larsen and tossed to Bruce for a force at second. Larsen dove into first to break up a potential double play, with Maddox scoring when the relay got past Colby Gonzalez at first base. With the tying run on second, Mayben intentionally walked Brett Haag and then got David Thrapp to hit a soft liner to Bruce for the final out. Both pitchers went the distance, Mayben allowing only three hits with eight strikeouts in improving to 3-1, and Foster (1-4) giving up only four hits. DeClerck expects similarly fine all-around performances from the Tornado in the future. "I think our offense is so good, sometimes people forget about our defense," he said. "We've got some real strong pitching and defense behind us, too." South Medford coach Pete Whisler said his team's inability to turn a double play early in the opener foreshadowed a trend that kept the Panthers from upsetting the Tornado. "They are where they are because they're good," Whisler said. "But I didn't think we played real hard the entire games as a team. That's a good team. You can't let teams like that have second chances." FIRST GAME South Medford ...... 010 00 -- 1 6 2 North Medford ...304 31 -- 11 11 0 Conklin, Empio (3) and Shine, Bock (3), Shine (5); Pagnini and Brownell. W -- Pagnini (4-0). L -- Conklin (2-2). 2B -- SM: Shine, Tompkins; NM: Gonzalez 2. HR -- NM: DeClerck 2, Brownell. SECOND GAME South Medford ....000 000 1 -- 1 3 1 North Medford .....011 000 x -- 2 4 5 Foster and Shine; Mayben and Brownell. W -- Mayben (3-1). L -- Foster (1-4). 2B -- NM: Pagnini. 3B -- NM: Jensen. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.