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Yakima fights off TJs, 7-6 By KRIS HENRY Southern Oregon provided the drama for the second straight night against Yakima in Northwest League baseball, rallying twice only to succumb 7-6 Thursday night in front of 1,329 at Miles Field. Trailing 7-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Southern Oregon's Kirk Asche and Jorge Soto walked and Mike Lockwood singled to load the bases. An RBI sacrifice fly by Gerald Laird trimmed the deficit to 7-5 and G.W. Keller added an RBI liner to right field to make it 7-6. Pinch hitter Matt Howe hit a towering fly to center field to put the tying run at third base. But that's as close as the Timberjacks got. Yakima reliever Wade Parrish struck out Jamie Porter to end Southern Oregon's seven-game home winning streak. The two teams will go at it again tonight at 7 in the third game of a five-game series. Yakima (14-11) tore a page from Southern Oregon's book, using timely hitting in the final two innings to stun the Southern Division-leading T'jacks (15-11). With the score tied 4-all in the eighth, the Bears scored on a passed ball and then stretched their lead in the ninth courtesy of a two-run home run to center field by Sandy Vasquez. Josh Dalton singled to left and Josh Glassey walked to start the eighth for Yakima, with both runners advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Jim Goelz. After an intentional walk to Kevin Covington to load the bases, left-hander Bryan Mazur came on in relief and was hurt by a passed ball that scored Dalton. Mazur halted the threat by getting a pop fly out and a strikeout. Southern Oregon had a chance to tie it in the eighth, with Keller getting hit by a pitch and then advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Clements. After Porter took the Bears by surprise with a bunt single up the third-base line, Parrish came in to strike out Carlos Rosario and Matt Forbes. Trailing 4-0 in the seventh, the TJs got an RBI single by Asche and a three-run homer by Soto to tie the game. Lockwood also singled in the inning, improving his hit streak to 11 straight games. Covington and Joe Thurston hit back-to-back singles off reliever Justin Lehr to lead off a three-run seventh for Yakima, with both runners advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Shane Allen. Lamont Matthews followed with a liner to left field, scoring both runners when the relay throw got away from catcher Laird. After a wild pitch advanced Matthews to third, Hayden Kluver dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Matthews and reach safely when Lehr's relay to first was not in time. Lehr settled down to strike out Vasquez, with Laird gunning down Kluver at second base for an inning-ending double play. Southern Oregon's Franklyn German and Yakima's Phil Devey put on a strong pitching display through the first four innings, allowing a combined five hits before the Bears finally struck for two hits and the game's first run in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Thurston laid down a bunt that Laird pounced on but threw wide of first base, allowing Thurston to advance to second. After stealing third, Thurston scored when Allen's blooper dropped in front of Lockwood in right field. Kluver followed with another blooper in front of Lockwood to put runners at the corners with two outs, but German halted the threat by striking out Vasquez. Southern Oregon attempted to strike back in its half of the fifth, with Keller leading off with a single to right field. After a strikeout, Porter hit into a fielder's choice to trade places with Keller. After six straight pickoff attempts by Devey, Keller stole second but was stranded when Carlos Rosario was called out on strikes. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.