Edwards allows five hits with five strikeouts and is backed by error-free defense in second round of state playoffs

Typically a high-scoring softball team, North Medford had to play it a little closer to the vest Wednesday, but the result remained the same.

The fourth-seeded Black Tornado managed to score in only one inning against Oregon City in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs, but that was enough to secure a 2-1 victory and advance into Friday’s quarterfinals.

North Medford (22-6) will play host to No. 5 seed West Salem on Friday in a rematch of an earlier contest played during the North Medford Spring Break Invitational. The Black Tornado won that March 25 meeting, 4-3.

The Titans (23-5), who won 6-0 over Southridge in the second round, enter the quarterfinals having won 17 straight games.

Sophomore pitcher Julia Edwards played a pivotal role in making a two-run fifth inning by North Medford hold up against the visiting Pioneers on Wednesday, striking out five with two walks and five hits allowed in seven innings.

Edwards was supported by an error-free defense, and only faced more than four batters in an inning once in the playoff victory.

In that outlier sixth inning, Oregon City’s Allie Oliver — batting in the No. 9 spot — hit a leadoff triple and was quickly brought home on a groundout by Callie Arnold. Consecutive hits with two outs by Alise Bean and Chloe Stromme put North Medford’s lead in question, but Bean was thrown out at home after trying to score on Stromme’s liner to the center field fence.

Oregon City later put the tying run on third base with one out before Edwards induced a groundout to third baseman Becca Tuivanu and a game-ending flyout to first baseman Caileigh Raines.

North Medford outhit Oregon City by a 7-5 margin, but only one of those played a factor in the scoring. After Jaycee Russell-Tyler reached on a two-base error with one out in the fifth inning, leadoff hitter Maili Hamlin slapped an RBI single up the middle.

Hamlin took second base when Oregon City (13-15) tried to nab Russell-Tyler at home, then advanced to third base on a passed ball and ultimately scored the eventual game-winning run on a wild pitch.

Prior to the fifth inning, the Black Tornado advanced a runner to third base in three innings but couldn’t come up with a final push to crack the scoreboard.

Hamlin finished 2-for-2, while Tuivanu was 2-for-3 to lead North Medford at the plate.

Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035