Roseburg walks off with 4-3 win over North Medford in 10 innings

Roseburg’s Jake Johnson was due.

Having gone hitless in his last seven at bats, including 0-for-4 on Tuesday against North Medford, the junior came through with a clutch double in the 10th inning to give the Indians a 4-3 walk-off win over the Black Tornado in a Southwest Conference baseball matchup.

“I felt pretty due. I had struggled all day and just couldn’t seem to find it. And then coach pulled me over right before I went up to the plate and said I was going to have a good swing. I put one together and got it done,” Johnson said after getting mugged by his teammates on the turf of Bill Gray Legion Field at Champion Car Wash Field.

Roseburg (10-7, 6-3 SWC) trailed North Medford twice in the contest, but rallied to get the win and hang on to sole possession of second place in the conference standings. The Indians trail first-place Willamette by a game after playing half of their league schedule.

“That’s a huge win. We’re in a close spot, fighting with (North Medford) for second and just to pull us away by a little bit was huge as we head into the weekend,” Johnson said.

Roseburg baseball came back from a 2-run deficit to force extra innings against North Medford in a battle for 2nd place in the Southwest Conference. Jake Johnson came through for the Tribe with this 10th inning double. #UmpquaPreps #orpeps @KSKRTheScore @OSAASports pic.twitter.com/bc1Q5r3QM1

— Joey Keeran (@joeykeeran) April 17, 2024

North Medford (10-4, 4-4) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning after back-to-back two-out doubles by Ben Morgan and Frankie Rutigliano.

Morgan finished the game with four of 16 hits by the Black Tornado. Kellen Willer and Dominic Daffron both added three hits for North.

Roseburg overcame the deficit in the third inning on a couple of clutch hits. Kaden Austin lead off the frame with the first of his two hits and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Heath King.

Brooks Avery got the Indians on the board with a single up the middle and two batters later Dane St. Clair plated Avery with a two-out triple to tie the game at 2-2.

St. Clair said he was thinking the ball had a chance to make it over the right field fence. “But a triple works the same here,” the junior said.

It was all zeros on the board for the next six innings despite numerous scoring chances.

North Medford left seven men in scoring position from the third through the eighth inning. Roseburg had four men stranded at second or third base during that span.

Roseburg starter Camden Hartsell managed to pitch around trouble with help from his defense. Austin made a diving stop at second and recorded the final out with a throw from his knees to strand a runner at third in the third inning.

King threw out Jake Payton at home on a throw from left field for the final out of the fifth inning, negating another run for the Black Tornado.

“I had a lot of trust in the guys behind me. That’s all it took. Just pounding the zone and keep those guys working,” Hartsell said.

Hartsell left the game with a no-decision after the sixth inning. He allowed 10 hits, but only the two runs, striking out four and walking two.

St. Clair took over on the mound in the sixth and kept North Medford off the board over the next four innings.

“Outstanding on the mound today by both of them,” Roseburg coach Troy Thompson said about his pitchers. “Camden did a good job after giving up those two early.”

“Dane came in and filled the strike zone up with strikes. They had a couple of opportunities to push across a run, but Dane shut the door,” Thompson added.

Meanwhile, Roseburg was unable to capitalize on its chances at the lead against North Medford starter Dominic Daffron. The junior pitched the whole game for the Black Tornado, striking out six and allowing nine hits in the loss.

“Their guy did a good job of being in the zone and forcing contact, but credit to our kids for staying with it and putting runners on base and having a chance there at the end,” Thompson said.

The final inning provided more drama than just the game-winning hit.

North Medford loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 10th. Jeremiah Robbins hit a pop-fly in foul territory behind first base, which was caught by Austin. Morgan tagged at third base and scored to put Black Tornado ahead 3-2.

In the process of the play, Easton Curtis was caught in a rundown between first and second. Curtis was tagged out by Avery as they both slid towards first base. While the rundown was happening, Rutigliano was on the move from second and attempted to score an insurance run for North.

Avery got tangled with Curtis while he tried to get to his feet and throw home. The senior never made the throw and immediately signaled for an interference call from the umpires. After a lengthy discussion and arguments made by both coaching staffs, the umpires ruled runners interference, which resulted in the third out and the end of the inning.

King led off the home half of the 10th with a single to left field. Paxton Burke reached base on a throwing error that put him and King in scoring position. North Medford elected to intentionally walk St. Clair to load the bases with one out.

Daffron, nearing the pitch count limit, gave up the game on a 1-1 pitch to Johnson, who drove the ball down the right field line for his team-leading sixth double of the season.

St. Clair earned his second win of the season, going four innings and allowing one run on six hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

Roseburg begins the second half of SWC play with a doubleheader against South Eugene, starting at noon on Saturday in Eugene.

N. Medford;020;000;000;1;—;3;16;2

Roseburg;002;000;000;2;—;4;10;3

Daffron and Robbins; Hartsell, St. Clair (6) and Burke. W — St. Clair (2-0). L — Daffron. 2B — Rutigliano (NM), Willer (NM), Daffron (NM), B. Morgan (NM), Johnson (R). 3B — St. Clair (R).