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CLEAR Temp: 56 °F Wind: N at 4 mph Saturday, June 1, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend May 31, 2002 Springfield, North follow different paths to title game By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune Prior to 11 days ago, the Springfield High softball program had never won a game in the Class 4A state playoffs. North Medford head coach Larry Binney, on the other hand, has assembled three state championships and a 34-15- 1 playoff record in his 20 years with the Black Tornado. Related story: The North Medford infield's glove story Binney and North take aim at their first crown since 1998 when they meet Springfield at 4 p.m. Saturday at Erv Lind Stadium in Portland. The programs may be mismatched in historical terms, but the Tornado and Millers have used similar approaches to reach the top of the Class 4A hill this spring. Both teams rely upon impressive pitching, sparkling defense and timely hitting to win. And both squads have emerged victorious at most every turn, with fifth-ranked North, the Southern Oregon Conference champion, forging a 25-5 overall record and fourth-ranked Springfield, the Midwestern League conqueror, boasting a 28-2 mark. "I think our clubs are similar," says Binney, whose title-game history is a 6-0 win with Medford High over Central Catholic in 1984, a 3-0 loss to Hood River Valley in ‘96, a 0-0 tie with Beaverton in ‘97 and a 4-0 victory over Tualatin in ‘98. "They are a very good, solid team. ... They’ve got a lot of senior leadership and some kids who have played a lot of summer ball. With that summer experience and kind of learning how to win, they’ve matured into a real good ballclub. That much is obvious from them winning the Midwestern League over perennial powers like North Eugene and Churchill." The Millers’ road to Saturday’s game has been bumpier than the Tornado’s. Springfield nudged SOC third-seed Crater, 1-0, at home in the first round, won at Tigard, 3-1 in 11 innings, in Round 2, clipped McNary, 2-1, at home in the quarterfinals and prevailed in eight innings, 1-0, at home against Hermiston in the semifinals. "We started out the season 3-0 and had scored three runs," says eighth-year Millers head coach Kim Badley, whose team’s only losses are to North Eugene and Canby. "When you play enough of those games, you feel comfortable in them." Meanwhile, North survived a dogged upset bid from Sunset in the first round, winning at home, 2-1, on two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Since then, the Tornado has stormed past West Linn at home, 7-0, battered Sprague on the road, 5-0, and shoved aside Central Catholic at home, 4-1. "They’re peaking at the perfect time," says Binney, whose young team features only four seniors, just one of whom — senior catcher Britney Hillyer — plays full time. Both coaches anticipate a low-scoring, well-played affair Saturday, with North’s Keri Sevano and Springfield’s Brieanne Thurn putting 4-0 postseason pitching records on the line. Sevano, 19-1 overall, has allowed two runs, both earned, in 26 innings during the Tornado’s playoff run. Thurn, 17-1 since Midwestern conference action began, has been touched for a single earned run in 33 innings of postseason work. Sevano, a junior, was the SOC’s player of the year; Thurn, a senior, was co-MVP of the Midwestern. "I would say she’s real similar to Keri in a lot of respects," Binney says of Thurn. "She just hits spots real well. She moves the ball around. ... Neither of them are the prototypical power pitcher. Both are very intelligent pitchers." Besides Thurn, the Millers boast four other players who were named first-team all-Midwestern. Catcher Kelsea Schoenberg, first baseman Sierra Mann, shortstop Stephanie Bour and right fielder April Drews are Springfield’s other standouts. Likewise, North had five players named first-team all-conference. Hillyer, third baseman Corey Whitaker, center fielder Brandi Paxton and right fielder Deni Rowley joined Sevano as first-team all-SOC selections. Able to offer a unique perspective on the Tornado-Millers matchup is Crater head coach Chris Arnold, whose team went 1-3 against North this season and lost to Springfield in the first round of the playoffs. "To get to this point, you definitely have to execute really well, and both teams do that," says Arnold, whose Comets were one-hit by Thurn on May 20. "They definitely match up real well." Arnold believes the difference could come down to Binney’s experience and the Tornado’s ability to manufacture runs. "I’ve learned this year you can’t bet against Larry Binney," Arnold says. "That would be a mistake. "Where North might have the advantage is their mentality at the plate. They’re willing and able to bunt, hit-and-run, steal bases — all those little things. I’m not so sure Springfield can do those things as well." With five senior starters leading the way, Badley is confident his Millers can continue to produce in the clutch. "I liked what the Tigard coach said about our team," says Badley, whose program was bounced in the first round each of the last two years by teams that made the championship game (champion Canby last year; runner-up Central Catholic in 2000). "We were down, 1-0, and we just kept hammering away. Eventually, we won it in 11 innings. She just called us ‘tenacious.’" Binney says he hopes the Tornado — which is on a 17-game winning streak dating back to a doubleheader sweep at the hands of North Eugene on April 15 — can keep on playing the way it has in recent weeks. "At this point in the season, we just need to take care of ourselves," says Binney, who will be coaching his final prep game Saturday. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students. Erv Lind Stadium’s address is 1025 NE 57th in Portland. The game will be replayed Sunday on Action Sports Cable Network (Charter-75) at 5 p.m. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S