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North topples Phoenix in tune-up for Crater Sunshine and hits were flowing Wednesday at Miles Field, where North Medford handed Phoenix an 8-5 non-conference baseball defeat. The Black Tornado, ranked fourth in the Class 4A poll, improved to 20-3 overall heading into Saturday's pivotal, 11 a.m. doubleheader at Crater. North is locked in a first-place tie with Ashland atop the Southern Oregon Conference entering the last weekend of the regular season. Wednesday, the Tornado jumped to a 5-0 lead through four innings, then survived the Class 3A Pirates' four-run fifth to nail down another victory. North's Brett Timmerman (4-0) didn't allow a run in pitching the first four innings. He was touched for five hits while striking out three. Jimmy Ulrey was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Rob Folsom went 2-for-4 to pace the Tornado's 11-hit attack. Phoenix, which sits third in the Skyline Conference with a 12-6 record, also pounded 11 hits. Eric Kessler went 3-for-4 and Nathan Emerson and Kevin Hudnall each laced a pair of hits to lead the way. Phoenix .......................................... 000 040 1 - 5 11 2 North Medford ............................... 102 230 x - 8 11 2 Goble, Kirk (4), McPhee (5), Wolford (6) and R. Ellis; Timmerman, Hovland (5), McArthur (5), Butler (7) and Folsom. W - Timmerman (4-0). L - Goble. 2B - P: Emerson, Gehrig; NM: McArthur. 3B - NM: Engle, Ulrey. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.