Roseburg and North Medford players shake hands following Friday’s Class 6A quarterfinal playoff game in Medford. (PHOTO: Denise Baratta/Rogue Valley Times)

MEDFORD — In a game of inches, the Roseburg High School baseball team came up just short in a Class 6A quarterfinal playoff contest against conference-rival North Medford on Friday at Jim McAbee Field.

The No. 6-seeded Black Tornado scored three runs in the fourth inning and held off any comeback attempts by the No. 14 Indians to win 3-1 and move on to the semifinals on Tuesday. North Medford will travel to Portland to face No. 2 Jesuit.

“Another quality ballgame against a very good program here at North. You’ve got to tip your ballcap to them. They pitched it very well and got the runs across when they got the opportunity,” Roseburg coach Troy Thompson said.

North’s Trey Newmann earned the win in a pitching duel against Roseburg’s Austin Takahashi.

Newmann gave up a pair of hits in the first inning, including an RBI double by Evan Corbin that put Roseburg (19-10) in front 1-0. The senior right-hander only allowed three more baserunners the rest of the contest and finished with 10 strikeouts over seven innings.

Jordan White and Noah Fisk were the only other Roseburg players to record hits in the game.

Takahashi retired the first 10 batters before things went awry in the fourth. North Medford (23-5) scored on three consecutive RBI singles by Newmann, Kellen Willer and Davis Carr.

The half inning saw a number of close plays that fell in North Medford’s favor. The Indians nearly finished the frame without giving up a run. Aiden Horsley lined out to second baseman Noah Fisk, who nearly doubled off Frankie Rutigliano at first.

After a two-out walk to Jeremiah Robbins, Newmann tied the game with a two-strike single to center field. The Indians then had a chance to end the inning against the next hitter, but dropped a flyball in foul territory.

“Austin threw very well once again and gave us a chance,” Thompson said. “Great job by Austin. He gave us all he could and unfortunately we couldn’t push across more than the one we got.”

Roseburg will see 10 seniors graduate from the program: Parker Burke, James Coleman, Evan Corbin, Noah Fisk, Hunter Fullerton, Eli Jacobs, Brayden Russell, Austin Takahashi, Jordan White and Jayce Wilder.

“Great group of kids,” Thompson said. “They were a lot of fun to be around. They worked hard every day and it mattered to them.

“We, as a coaching staff, appreciate that. All the efforts they put in and the efforts their families, to give us the time, and it’s a lot of time. I’m really proud of our seniors.”

Roseburg 100 000 0 — 1 4 0

N. Medford 000 300 x — 3 5 0

Takahashi and Burke; Newmann and Robbins. W — Newmann. L — Takahashi (3-5). 2B — Corbin (R), Rutigliano (NM).

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