Roseburg High School senior Evan Corbin drove in two runs in the first inning and pitched a complete game to lead the Indians to a 2-0 win over Barlow in the second round of the OSAA Class 6A baseball playoffs on Wednesday at Bill Gray Legion Stadium at Champion Car Wash Field.
The playoff victory moves Roseburg (19-9) into the quarterfinals for a road game against league rival North Medford (22-5) at 4:30 p.m. Friday. The No. 6-seeded Black Tornado walked-off with a 4-3 win over No. 22 Tualatin in eight innings to advance in the playoffs.
Corbin came through with a one-out single to left field to drive in Eli Jacobs and Brooks Avery in the opening frame of the contest.
Jacobs had gotten on with a leadoff double and Avery followed with a bunt single.
The runs proved to be all the No. 14 Indians would need as Corbin shut down No. 30 Barlow (14-15) for his third complete-game shutout of the season.
“I just had to go out there and throw strikes. It’s playoff time. Every team wants to play their best,” Corbin said. “I just had to go out there and do my job and I knew the defense would have my back.”
Barlow, coming off a first-round upset of No. 3 Lakeridge Monday, only managed to get two runners into scoring position.
“He (Corbin) did a great job around the zone and put up a string of zeros,” Roseburg coach Troy Thompson said. “Great performance by Evan Corbin.”
River Hamilton reached base in the first inning on a two-out single and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw, but was left stranded as Corbin struck out Dylan Sheaffer to finish the inning.
Ransom Lorenzen hit a two-out double in the fifth inning and Micah Ackerman, a courtesy runner for the catcher, advanced to third on a wild pitch. The scoring threat was averted with another punchout by Corbin.
“Coach Thompson always says ‘they can’t win if they don’t score’,” said Corbin, who finished with 10 strikeouts.
Roseburg managed just two hits over the final five innings after getting four in the first off Barlow starter Alex Lopez. The junior left-hander pitched all six innings and finished with five strikeouts and two walks.
Noah Fisk continued his hot streak at the plate for the Tribe, going 2-for-3 with a double. The senior has now had three straight games with two hits.
Eli Jacobs also had two hits for the Indians, including a two-bagger.
“Great start by our hitters. Any time you can score early and play with a lead it eases some of that pressure that might be present,” Thompson said.
Roseburg will now face North Medford for a fourth time this season. The Black Tornado took two of three games against the Indians during the regular season and won the Southwest Conference title.
The lone win for Roseburg came at home in the regular season finale, when Dane St. Clair hit a walk-off single to give the Tribe a 6-5 win in nine innings.
Barlow 000 000 0 — 0 5 0
Roseburg 200 000 x — 2 6 1
Lopez and Lorenzen; Corbin and Burke. W — Corbin (8-1). L — Lopez (1-1). 2B — Lorenzen (B), Jacobs (R), Fisk (R).
