ROSEBURG – Entering the final doubleheader of the regular season on Thursday, there was one guarantee. If The Roseburg baseball team managed to win two games against North Medford it would be headed to the OSAA state playoffs.

Roseburg sophomore Zack Mandera shutdown the Black Tornado for a 5-0 win in game one and the Indians completed the sweep with a comeback 8-7 win in game two.

Mandera tossed a complete game, three-hitter to earn his sixth win of the season. The sophomore struck out eight North Medford batters and did not allow a walk. The Black Tornado didn’t get a hit off Mandera until the third inning and, at one point, Mandera retired 11 straight hitters.

Roseburg (14-11; 10-8 SWC) only recorded four hits in five innings against North Medford starter Wyatt Baptiste, but the Indians capitalized on their opportunities. The Tribe scored a run in the first on a Collin Warmouth double that plated Spencer Six.

The Indians added another run in the fourth on a two-out single by Cody Johnson. The final runs of the game came in the fifth. Warmouth hit a triple to score two more and then came around to score on a fielding error. Warmouth finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Game two was a different story as the runs came early and often. North Medford scored four runs in the first inning off of Roseburg starter Josh Alexander. The Black Tornado took advantage of a fielding error and four hits to build the early edge, but the Indians responded with four of their own in the first to tie the game.

North Medford starter Tyler Seney did not surrender a hit in the first inning, but he walked Spencer Six with one out and proceeded to bean the next three batters to give up one run. A sacrifice fly scored another and the Indians tied the game on a dropped fly ball in deep left field.

The Black Tornado regained the lead in the second and held it until the third inning when Roseburg scored three times on four hits and one error to take a 7-5 advantage. Six and fellow freshman Doran Gillespie each had big hits in the inning to drive in runs.

North Medford (11-14; 7-11 SWC) tied the game again with two runs in the sixth off a double by Jon-o Gassman against Roseburg reliever Collin Warmouth. Yet, once again, the Indians responded by scoring a run on a second sacrifice fly from Cody Johnson to take an 8-7 lead.

The lead held the rest of the way. The Indians closed the game out by striking out Josh Robbins and throwing out Kasey Buchanan as he attempted to steal second base. Warmouth earned his second win of the season, pitching five innings and surrendering four hits.

Roseburg secured no worse than a fourth place finish in the Southwest Conference with the wins, which gives the Indians an automatic berth in the first round of the state playoffs. With two days left in the 6A baseball regular season, the Indians will now wait to find out where they finish in the final OSAA rankings before getting an idea what the post season may hold.

North Medford will also play the waiting game. The Black Tornado fell to 30th in the most recent rankings and will hope to remain in the top 36 to receive a berth in an at-large play-in game.

The first round of the playoffs don’t begin until May 22, so the Indians will have time off to rest up and continue practicing. The rest of the Southwest Conference will finish the regular season on Friday and Saturday.

NOTES: Roseburg’s Luke Lucido saw his hitting streak end at 18 games after going 0-for-3 in game one of the doubleheader. Lucido finished the day 0-for-6. North Medford’s game two starter, Tyler Seney, was ejected from the game in the third inning after arguing balls and strikes.

GAME ONE
N. MEDFORD 000; 000; 0 – 0;3;1
ROSEBURG 100; 130; X – 5;4;2
Baptiste, B. Buchanan (6) and Geyer. Mandera and Te. Jacks. WP – Mandera (6-2). LP – Baptiste
2B – R: Warmouth. 3B – R: Warmouth.

GAME TWO
N. MEDFORD 410; 020; 0 – 7;10;3
ROSEBURG 403; 010; X – 8;8;1
Seney, Drewien (3) and Geyer. Alexander, Labahn (2), Warmouth (3) and Te. Jacks. WP – Warmouth (2-0). LP – Drewien.
2B – NM: Geyer, Sandoval, Gassman. 3B – NM: Geyer