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Mustangs storm into state final By Kris Henry Updated: Jul 26, 2022 09:12 PM A A 3 View all photos Medford pounds Sherwood to set up two shots Wednesday at 18th state championship Medford left the Sherwood Lobos seeing double with one extra-base hit after another to remain unbeaten at the American Legion AAA state tournament with a 14-4 win in six innings Tuesday night at Legion Field in Roseburg. The Mustangs (36-7) pounded out six doubles — four in the first inning alone — and took command early with four runs in each of the first two innings to win going away in the mercy-rule victory. “It was nice to get started on top, as always,” said Mustangs manager Nate Mayben. “They hit the ball really well the whole game so that was nice to see. It would've been nice to get out of there in five innings, but I'll take a 14-4 win any day.” Thanks to a 4-0 record in the tourney, Medford will have as many as two chances to claim the program’s 18th state championship on Wednesday. The Mustangs can secure the title with a 2 p.m. win over the Hillsboro Barbers (33-9-1), but a loss in that game would set up a winner-take-all Game 2 at 5 p.m. “We’ve played in that (championship) game a lot and it’s always a little bit easier night’s sleep knowing you’ve got to be beat twice,” said Mayben, in his 12th season at the helm. “The kids did a good job of not taking a step back and taking it seriously tonight. They did a great job of keeping the momentum going for us.” The Barbers, who lost 7-6 in 11 innings to Medford on Monday, eliminated Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s with a 3-1 win earlier Tuesday to secure its spot on Day 5 for the second straight year. Last year, Medford beat Hillsboro on the final day for the second time in the tourney before losing to Eugene in a bid to claim a seventh straight state crown. “They’re solid,” Mayben said of the more veteran Barbers. “This is going to be tough. This isn't a gimme by any means. They’ve got their pitching lined up, but we’ve got ours lined up, too, so it’s going to be a battle.” “We’re looking forward to it and I know the boys are excited about it,” he added of championship Wednesday. “This is it, this is why we put in the work all summer long.” Medford definitely put in work against Sherwood (15-10), which advanced out of the play-in round and had posted a 2-1 record in the tournament entering Tuesday. A leadoff single by Cody Borraggine was followed by an RBI double from Cameron Sewell and the Mustangs were off to the races. Tanner Douglas and Aiden Horsley added run-scoring doubles to build a 3-0 lead and a two-out RBI double by Frankie Rutigliano capped the early barrage. After starting pitcher Owen Thompson sent the Lobos down in order for a second straight inning, the Mustangs picked up where they left off with four more runs in the second inning. Johnny King opened the frame with a single and scored on a double by Borraggine. Sewell added another RBI double for Medford’s sixth double in 11 at-bats, and Horsley’s RBI single increased the lead to 7-0. Medford scored its final run of the inning on a delayed double steal that saw Jace Miller cross the plate for an 8-0 edge. From there it was merely a matter of whether Medford could win in the minimum five innings, but Bowen Stinson’s fifth-inning home run didn’t allow that possibility. The home run was only the third of the tournament, with Miller also hitting one Monday against Hillsboro. The Mustangs were able to close the game out at least one inning early when Triston Wallace pulled off a nifty slide to avoid a tag at home plate on a game-ending sacrifice fly by Sewell. Douglas went 3-for-4 with one run and two RBIs to lead Medford’s 14-hit attack, while Sewell was 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs. Borraggine went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, Horlsey was 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs, Rutigliano 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI and King 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI in the balanced showing. Thompson went 5 2/3 innings to earn the pitching victory, striking out four and walking four with six hits allowed. Julius Bolstad came on in the sixth to close out Sherwood. Sherwood Lobos 001210—4 6 1 Medford Mustangs 443201—14 14 0 Davis, Boggs (3), Hannan (5) and Kliever, Fahland (4); Thompson, Bolstad (6) and Wallace. W — Thompson. L — Davis. 2B — M: Douglas, Horsley, Rutigliano, Borraggine, Sewell 2. HR — S: Stinson. Have a local story idea? Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneTanner Douglas had three hits to lead Medford’s 14-hit attack Tuesday against Sherwood. Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneFrankie Rutigliano delivered one of Medford’s four doubles in the first inning to help spur the offense against Sherwood. Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneMedford Mustangs outfielder Cameron Sewell connected for two of his team’s six doubles Tuesday in a 14-4 win over Sherwood.