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Crater, North to vie for title Campbell closes door on Pacers By Don Hunt CENTRAL POINT � The sixth-ranked Crater Comets got just what they wanted Wednesday: a victory over Lakeridge and a rematch with North Medford for the Class 4A state baseball championship. Ryan Gipson scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning and Casey Campbell struck out Lakeridge star Mark Listonberger with the tying run on second base in the seventh as the Comets squeezed out a 5-4 state semifinals victory over the Pacers before a standing-room- only crowd an Anhorn Field. The Comets (26-3) were the state�s top-ranked team for much of the spring. But one-run losses to Roseburg and South Medford in early May cost the Comets their No. 1 ranking and a 6-5 loss to North Medford on May 13 cost them the Southern Oregon Conference title. All of that will be forgotten if they can beat the Black Tornado, an 8-7 winner over Mountain View in Wednesday�s other semifinal, Saturday at Volcano Stadium in Keizer. The Class 4A state championship game begins at 5 p.m. "We expected to be here and we�re happy to get another shot at North," said Brent Foster, who worked the first 6� innings for the Comets Wednesday before giving way to Campbell. "We stubbed our toe a couple of times in the middle of the season but we�re playing good ball right now. We�ll definitely be ready.�� Gipson scored what proved to be the winning run when he singled to lead off the seventh and scored all the way from first base on a throwing error by Lakeridge pitcher Jeff Lamb. The miscue occurred after speedy Kenny Strate, Crater�s leadoff hitter, laid a bunt down the third-base line. Strate likely would have beaten out any throw for a hit, but Lamb fielded the ball and threw to the inside of the bag. Strate collided with Pacers first baseman Kevin Dodds, the ball sailed into right field and Gipson scurried around the bases. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA