Document text
Pirates roll into playoffs off another win MERLIN -- The Phoenix Pirates are the hottest softball team in the Skyline Conference. Coach Rich Ficek can only hope his Pirates carry their momentum into the state playoffs. Tiffany Ross tossed a three-hit shutout and Jeanette Hudnall and Beth Nikodym produced RBI singles in the third inning as the Pirates registered a 2-0 victory over North Valley Tuesday. The victory was the Pirates' eighth in their last nine games. The Pirates, the No. 3 representative from the Skyline Conference, travel to Elmira next Tuesday for a first-round state playoff game. "We've had our backs against the wall for about three weeks now, so I don't think the pressure of the playoffs will affect us too much," said Phoenix coach Rich Ficek, whose team finished Skyline play at 14-7 and is 19-7 overall. "All of these games lately have been like a playoff game to us." Freshman leadoff hitter Jennifer Dunlap tripled to start the third inning and Hudnall followed with a single to drive in the game's first run. Michelle McEvoy singled and, after Ross got aboard on a fielder's choice, Beth Nikodym drove in the game's final run. Phoenix ............. 002 000 0 -- 2 6 3 North Valley .......000 000 0 -- 0 3 1 Ross and Nikodym; Wardlaw and M. Beck. W -- Ross (19-7). L -- Beck. 2B -- NV: M. Beck. 3B -- P: Dunlap. HENLEY 5, ILLINOIS VALLEY 2 -- At Cave Junction, Illinois Valley (13-11-1, 11-10 Skyline) opened the season with seven straight conference wins, but went 4-10 the rest of the way and failed in its attempt to make a repeat appearance in the Class 3A state playoffs. The Cougars' doubleheader split with Lakeview on Saturday eliminated them from the postseason. After allowing three runs in the fourth inning and falling behind 5-1, Illinois Valley junior pitcher Rachel Pierce retired the final 10 batters. Henley ............ 011 300 0 -- 5 9 1 Illinois Valley ....001 001 0 -- 2 2 2 Birt, K. Young (5) and Mills; Pierce and Moore. W -- Birt. L -- Pierce (6-7). ROGUE RIVER 3, MAZAMA 2 --At Rogue River, Kristi Frederick doubled home Jamie Artoff with the winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Rogue River overhauled Mazama in the final regular-season game for both teams. The Chieftains, who finished with a 15-6 record in the Skyline Conference and stand 19-6 overall, will host a first-round state playoff game next Tuesday. Mazama led 2-0 after three innings but the Chieftains tied the game in the fourth on Kelly Simmons' bases-loaded, two-run single. Mazama ..................... 002 000 0 -- 2 2 1 Rogue River ............... 000 210 x -- 3 5 2 Powell, Valiton (4) and Mishler. Glasscock and Bailey. 2B -- RR: Frederick. W -- Glasscock (15-1). L -- Powell. LAKEVIEW 11, HIDDEN VALLEY 4 -- At Murphy, Krista Hudson led Hidden Valley (4-20-1, 3-18 Skyline) with two hits. The Mustangs put together two singles, a walk, a fielder's choice and Clair Highfield's RBI double to score four runs in the fourth inning. Lakeview ....................413 030 0 -- 11 8 1 Hidden Valley ............000 400 0 -- 4 4 8 J. Johnson, Hartman (4), J. Johnson (5) and Bailey; Roth and Ewan. W -- J. Johnson. L -- Roth. 2B -- L: J. Johnson; HV: Highfield. ROSEBURG 7, CRATER 3 -- At Central Point, Molly Liston went 3-for-4 and picked up the win for Roseburg, advancing the Indians to the state 4A playoffs as the second seed out of the Southern Oregon Conference. Roseburg hosts the third seed out of the PIL, while Crater battles the top seed out of the Three Rivers Conference. Both games are next Tuesday. The Indians erupted for four runs in the first inning to take control of the game and added three more insurance runs in the third. Andrea Perdue led the Comets with two hits and two RBIs. Roseburg .............403 000 0 -- 7 10 1 Crater ...................011 010 0 -- 3 7 3 Liston and Schruth; Perdue, Ray (3) and Ridge. W -- Liston. L -- Perdue. NORTH MEDFORD 11, SPRAGUE 0 -- Steph Coe had two hits and picked up her 17th pitching win of the season as North Medford tuned up for the Class 4A state playoffs with a non-conference win. Coe gave up four hits and struck out seven in six innings of work and Keri Sevano came in to fan two out of the three batters she faced to close things out. Sandy Horn had three hits to pace North while Haley Varley had two. Amy Allen chipped in two RBIs. The Black Tornado (20-6) hosts Glencoe at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a first-round state playoff game. Sprague ................ 000 000 0 -- 0 4 3 North Medford ....102 404 x -- 11 12 0 Todd and Morris; Coe, Sevano (7) and Hillyer. W -- Coe (17-5). L -- Todd. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA