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Springfield ekes out win over Comets in first round of playoff SPRINGFIELD - In a game that was delayed 11/2 hours by rain, Brianne Thurn kept the Crater softball team's offense permanently on ice as fourth-ranked Springfield posted a 1-0 first-round victory over the Comets in the Class 4A state playoffs. The Millers, the Midwestern League champions, had almost as much difficulty solving Crater's pitchers as the Comets did Thurn. But when Jenni Bittle - trying to make an over-the-shoulder catch from her pitcher position - bobbled Thurn's short pop-up in the bottom of the sixth inning, Anna McClennan sped home with the winning run. McClennan, who finished 2-for-3, had singled to lead off the inning. Thurn allowed only one hit, walked one and struck out one to shut out the Comets, who end the season 18-9 overall. "She locates very well, and her ball moves," first-year Crater head coach Chris Arnold said. "Our pitchers did a nice job as well. ... There were three solid pitchers out there; unfortunately, we couldn't give ours any support." Freshman Janelle Cristofaro pitched the first three innings for the Comets, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two. Bittle (8-7), a sophomore, threw the last three innings and permitted the one, unearned, run on two hits and a walk. She struck out one. Justine Bettencourt doubled with one out in the seventh for Crater's lone hit. Angie Wright advanced Bettencourt to third base on a sharp ground-out to first, then Thurn sealed the win by striking out the Comets lone senior, first-team all-conference center-fielder Leann Foster. Springfield, which went 15-1 in Midwestern action, moves on to face the winner of Westview-Tigard in the second round Wednesday. Crater ............................................... 000 000 0 - 0 1 3 Springfield ....................................... 000 001 x - 1 4 2 Cristofaro, Bittle (4) and Thomas; Thurn and Schoenburg. W - Thurn. L - Bittle (8-7). 2B - C: Bettencourt. CANBY 5, GRANTS PASS 0 - At Canby, top-ranked and defending state champion Canby ended Grants Pass' season in a first-round state tournament game. Grants Pass, the fourth seed out of the SOC, defeated McKay 3-0 in a subtournament game on Friday for the right to play in Monday's first round. The Cavers finish the season 16-11. Canby plays Redmond on Wednesday in a second-round game. ROSEBURG RAINED OUT AT HOME - Roseburg's first-round game against Gresham was rained out Monday. It will be made up today in Roseburg. Class 3A ROGUE RIVER 8, SOUTH UMPQUA 0 - At Rogue River, Laura Jones went 3-for-3 with three RBIs to help Rogue River to a first-round state tournament win. The Chieftains travel to take on Newport on Wednesday. Jill Artoff added a two-run double in the fifth for Rogue River. Katie Glasscock gave up two hits while striking out seven. South Umpqua.................................000 000 0 - 0 2 2 Rogue River.....................................300 041 x - 8 10 1 Graham and Mell; Glasscock and Artoff. W - Glasscock. L - Graham. 2B - RR: Artoff. HENLEY 4, TAFT 2 - At Taft, Henley ousted the Valco No. 2 seed Taft in a first-round game. The Hornets, the third seed out of the Skyline Conference, move on to face Marist in Wednesday's second-round action. SCL CASCADE CHRISTIAN 8, CHILOQUIN 4 - At Eagle Point, Cascade Christian clinched the Southern Cascade League's No. 1 seed by beating Chiloquin in a tiebreaking game. Challengers pitcher Laural Kelley (13-5) limited the Queens to four hits and two earned runs while striking out 11 and walking one. Cascade (16-10 overall) backed up Kelley with an 11-hit attack. Whitney Brookins was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, Hannah Gettman went 2-for-3 and scored three times, Kelley was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs and Natalie Dicus went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. The Challengers avoid No. 1-ranked Willamina in the first round of the Class 2A/1A state playoffs with the win. Cascade will open postseason play by hosting the second seed from Special District 3 at a to-be-determined time Wednesday. Cascade Christian ......................... 203 012 0 - 8 11 4 Chiloquin .......................................... 001 011 1 - 4 4 5 Kelley and Mosser; M. Chappel and Riddle. W - Kelley (13-5). L - M. Chappel. 2B - CC: Brookins, Kelley, Dicus. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.