ROSEBURG – The start of Southwest Conference play was nearly perfection for the Roseburg baseball team. Junior Zack Mandera fell one out shy of pitching a perfect game against South Eugene on Tuesday and had to settle for a one-hit shutout.

Mandera retired the first 20 batters and needed one more out, but South Eugene sophomore Bryce Boettcher broke up the bid for perfection with a single to left field. Boettcher was left stranded on base as Mandera got the final out two batters later and the Indians won 4-0.

South Eugene (3-0; 0-1 SWC) didn’t have an answer to Roseburg’s right-hander. Mandera struck out eight hitters over seven innings and didn’t allow a walk. He improved his record to 2-0 on the year and has yet to give up a run over 12 innings.

Roseburg (2-0; 1-0 SWC) backed-up the strong pitching performance with a nice day at the plate. The Indians tallied nine hits, including three extra base hits. Mandera went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Caden Johnson and Jonathan Stone also had two hits each.

The Tribe took a lead in the second inning on Mandera’s double, which scored Brody Black who led off the inning with a double. Roseburg added another run in the third on a single by Caden Johnson. Doran Gillespie made it 3-0 with a triple in the fifth inning and Roseburg scored its final run in the sixth on a bases loaded ground out by Jace Stoffal.

S. EUGENE 000; 000; 0 – 0;1;0
ROSEBURG 011; 011; X – 4;9;1
Miller, McIrvin and Brown. Mandera and Jacks. W – Zack Mandera (2-0). L – Kaden Miller.