Prep Baseball: Roseburg wraps up SWC season with split agasint North Medford

The Roseburg Indians finished out the Southwest Conference season with a series win over the North Medford Black Tornado on Saturday at Champion Car Wash Field.

The Indians won Game 1 of a doubleheader 6-3 to clinch the series victory, but fell short of the sweep as North Medford took Game 2 by a 4-2 score.

Roseburg and North Medford finished the league season tied for third, but the Indians own the tiebreaker and earned the conference’s third automatic playoff berth. The Black Tornado will reach the postseason as an at-large team.

Roseburg’s Danner Wertz made his return from an injury that forced him out of Tuesday’s game at North Medford in the second inning. The sophomore bounced-back to earn a complete-game victory in the opener. He scattered seven hits over seven innings and finished with three walks and three strikeouts.

Roseburg coach Troy Thompson credited Wertz’s work with Roseburg trainer Lindsey Cockreham to get him ready to return to action this weekend.

“We were hopeful he’d be able to come out and play and be successful,” Thompson said. “Fortunately, it worked out for him and ultimately for us.”

The Indians supported Wertz with four runs in the second inning against North Medford starter Quincy Ballard. After a leadoff single from Brady Popken, Roseburg went to small-ball and attempted a couple of sacrifice bunts that North struggled to defend, allowing the Indians to load the bases with no outs.

Mason Young plated the first run with a grounder to short stop Benny Morgan, who attempted to start a double play at second base but misfired into the outfield. The error allowed a second run to score. Fletcher Coleman and Christian Korba later drove in runs to give RHS a 4-0 advantage.

The Black Tornado drew within 4-3 in the fifth inning. Morgan got into scoring position with a one-out triple and scored on a single by Brayden Poff. Cade Pettersen had a two-run, two-out double to cap the scoring.

The Tribe responded immediately with two runs in the home half of the fifth. Another throwing error scored one run and a sacrifice fly by Popken gave the Indians a 6-3 edge.

Wertz finished the game by retiring the final seven batters in order.

North Medford jumped out to an early lead in the nightcap and never trailed. The Black Tornado scored an unearned run on a two-out single by Ballard in the first and stretched the lead to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the third.

Roseburg struggled early against North’s starter, Pettersen. He retired the first eight Roseburg batters before Mason Young reached on an error. The Indians finally broke through with a run in the fourth after Korba started the frame with a triple and scored on a groundout by AJ Black.

Korba scored again in the sixth inning after a leadoff double. Popken brought him home with a two-out single to get RHS within 3-2.

North Medford stretched the lead out with an unearned run in the seventh and the Indians couldn’t muster much of a comeback attempt in their final at bats.

Pettersen got the complete-game victory for North Medford. He allowed two runs on six hits, with nine strikeouts and three walks.

Korba led Roseburg’s offense with five hits between the two games, including a double and a triple. He also had an RBI and three runs scored. The freshman has a nine-game hit streak going, during which he has hit .516 (16/31) with four doubles, two triples and nine RBIs.

“The number by their name tells what grade level they are, but it certainly does not equate to their ability level. He’s played well all year,” Thompsen said.

Popken was 2-for-4 and had two RBI for Roseburg in the twin bill. Paxton Burke was 3-for-8.

The Indians will have to wait until Thursday night to find out their spot in the 32-team Class 6A playoff bracket. The tournament field will be announced once all games have been finalized.

While Roseburg waits, the Indians will host Sheldon at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday for a nonleague playoff tune-up game.

First Game

N. Medford;000;030;0;—;3;7;2

Roseburg;040;020;X;—;6;8;0

Ballard and Patterson; Wertz and Bowers. W — Wertz (6-2). L — Ballard. 2B — Pettersen (NM). 3B — Morgan (NM).

Second Game

N. Medford;102;000;1;—;4;4;1

Roseburg;000;101;0;—;2;5;2

Pettersen and Patterson; Coleman, Korba (7) and Bowers. W — Pettersen. L — Coleman (1-4). 2B — Staller (NM), Korba (R), Burke (R). 3B — Korba (R).