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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, May 8, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 8, 2005 Crater scores 10th straight victory By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Heavy rains forced a change of venue for North Medford and Crater Saturday. But neither the weather, nor the Black Tornado, could bog down the surging Comets. Behind an 11-strikeout performance from Janelle Cristofaro, eighth-ranked Crater won its 10th straight game with a 4-0 victory in the opener of a Southern Oregon Conference softball doubleheader played at Southern Oregon University. The twin bill was moved to SOU because of poor field conditions at Fagone Field. The wet weather, however, followed the two teams to Ashland, turning the 13-inning nightcap into an anticlimactic, 4½ -hour scrimmage. Advertisement Game 2 was called in the top of the 14th inning with the contest tied at 3-all after a steady rain became a heavy downpour that made the field unplayable. Crater had a runner on third base with no outs when the contest ended. But, according to SOC rules, the two teams will have to start the second game from scratch in a makeup game tentatively scheduled for Tuesday at Fagone Field. "We’re definitely disappointed," said Comet coach Chris Arnold, whose team last suffered defeat in the SOC opener against Roseburg. "To have the game canceled was disappointing. "We did have some opportunities early that may have made a difference. But, yeah, that was a disappointing way to finish." Crater (18-3, 9-2 SOC) moved to within one game of conference-leading Roseburg, which split a doubleheader with third-place South Medford. North Medford (12-8, 5-5), which still has a makeup game with Klamath Union on Monday, fell into a fourth-place tie with Grants Pass. Cristofaro gave up just one hit in five innings of work. Ashleigh Cuddie came on for the final two innings to preserve the shutout. "I felt like we lost the game," said first-year Tornado coach Missy Doerr. "We did not come out ready to play. We made errors, some we don’t usually make, we were missing signs ... You have to give Crater credit, they took advantage of the mistakes. "(Cristofaro) did do a good job." The fiery senior hurler ran into trouble in the first inning, but got Mallorie Hoover to tap back to the mound for the final out with runners on second and third. The Comet bats went to work against North starter Kendra Strahm in the third inning. Sophomore Susan Winningham ripped a two-out single to left, stole second and came around for a 1-0 lead on Cristofaro’s RBI hit. In the fifth, Kirstin Davidson led off with a single and Becca Shelamer moved her to second when she reached on an error. Angela Bettenburg followed with another hit to load the bases and Davidson scored one batter later on a passed ball. Winningham handed Cristofaro a 3-0 advantage with another run-scoring hit to left. While the Comets were heating up, North was cooling off. "It’s not like we weren’t hitting the ball," said Doerr. "We just seemed to hit right to them. Every ball we hit was right at somebody and Crater’s hits were dropping in." Davidson tacked on Crater’s final run when she tripled and scored on a Staci Bauer groundout in the fifth. Meanwhile, Cristofaro was getting plenty of defensive support en route to her 14th win against three losses. Sophomore second baseman Haley Hevern, who missed last season with a back ailment, and senior shortstop Tyler Sutherland made several highlight plays look routine. Hevern saved a run from scoring in the fourth inning with a diving grab. With runners at first and second and one out, North’s Rachelle Willden ripped a sharp grounder into the hole between second and first. But Hevern laid out and snagged the ball on a hop and flipped to Bauer at first to record the out and keep the runners from scoring. Cristofaro fanned Strahm to end the threat. "Haley Hevern has been making huge defensive plays all season long," said Arnold. "She’s really had a tremendous season, and her bat’s getting better, too. "She’s fun to watch because she gives 100 percent all the time." Cristofaro went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases to lead Crater. Winningham, Davidson and Bettenburg each added two hits apiece. Strahm (10-5) gave up seven hits and struck out seven in five innings of work. Deni Rowley gave North a 3-2 lead in Game 2 with a two-run double in the fifth. Crater sent the game to extra innings on an RBI triple to right field by Davidson with one out. Crater......................................001 210 0 — 4 10 1 North Medford.........................000 000 0 — 0 3 1 Cristofaro, Cuddie (6) and Winningham; Strahm, Hallett (6) and Haskett. W — Cristofaro (14-3). L — Strahm (10-5). 3B — C: Davidson. Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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