PREP BB: South Medford’s dramatic playoff run ends with extra-inning walk-off
Published 12:28 pm Saturday, May 31, 2025
Panthers score twice in seventh to force extra innings in 6A quarterfinal, but McMinnville has answer with two-out hit in 8th
South Medford produced a comeback effort for a third straight time in the Class 6A baseball state playoffs, only this one Friday night didn’t result in a victorious celebration for the Panthers.
The 18th-seeded Panthers tallied two runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull even with host McMinnville, but the No. 7 Grizzlies were able to escape in extra innings when Tyler Brummitt hit a full-count, two-out single for a walk-off 5-4 win in the eighth inning.
“The ball didn’t bounce our way, and we were playing against a great team, a very athletic team and a very well-coached team,” said South Medford head coach Josh Moody. “The comeback came just a little bit short today.”
South Medford first baseman Evan Rhoden fields a throw on a pickoff attempt during Friday’s Class 6A baseball state quarterfinal against McMinnville. (Rusty Rae / McMinnville News-Register)
South Medford (17-12) was making its first appearance in the 6A quarterfinals since finishing as the state runner-up in 2010, and it certainly was quite a ride for a Panther team that needed seventh-inning runs on the road against Ida B. Wells and West Linn to reach Friday’s game.
“Going into today, kind of the running joke with the team was that we don’t have to wait until the seventh to score our runs,” said Moody, “so it was good to get one in the second and in the sixth there (against McMinnville). But we were plenty comfortable in that seventh inning, knowing that we’ve done it before and we can do it again. We preach to play every pitch, and our guys certainly did that this playoffs.”
The Panthers captured their first lead other than in a final inning when Owen Leavens singled in the second inning and wound up scoring on a groundout by Tristan Mallari.
McMinnville (23-7) answered with a pair of runs in the third inning on RBI singles from Brummitt and Taylor Carnahan, then built a 3-1 cushion in the fourth inning after consecutive two-out errors by the Panthers allowed a run to score.
South Medford trimmed the deficit in the top of the sixth inning when Easton Douglas had a one-out single and later scored on an RBI single by Leavens, but the Grizzlies answered back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame thanks to a double by Bryce Wilson and a sacrifice fly from Cameron Hyder.
South Medford starter Jake Lewis delivers a pitch during Friday’s Class 6A baseball state quarterfinal against McMinnville. (Rusty Rae / McMinnville News-Register)
Trailing 4-2 and down to their final outs yet again in the playoffs, South Medford stirred up a rally when Brad Love drew a one-out walk and Ryan Tucker followed with a single to chase Brummitt from the mound. The Panthers then pulled off a double steal to greet reliever Brayden Mix to set up Cooper Mitchell, who came through with a two-run single to center field that tied the game at 4-all.
In a bit of controversy, Mitchell was then picked off first base by the lefty Mix, despite arguments from the South Medford side for a balk on the movement to get that second out. Making matters worse, Douglas followed with a single thereafter on a play that would’ve pushed a go-ahead run closer to the plate. Mix then got Keegan Painter to line out to center field to end the threat.
South Medford starter Jake Lewis allowed a walk but also secured the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh before giving way to Evan Rhoden, who picked up the third out to force extras.
Lewis allowed nine hits with only two walks and four strikeouts in his time on the mound.
After the Panthers went down in order in the eighth, McMinnville No. 9 hitter Nash Opitz was hit by a pitch to start the frame, sacrificed to second base and ultimately scored when Brummitt’s fateful hit carried down the third-base line.
“Jake pitched very well today in 6 ⅔ innings, and we competed and battled,” said Moody of the outcome. “We ran into a bunch of good teams, and hit the end of the line today.”
Cascade Christian’s Grady Sickler, shown sliding into third base for a triple Wednesday, enjoyed a similar moment Friday en route to scoring the winning run against South Umpqua. (Andy Atkinson / for the Rogue Valley Times)
Class 3A
CASCADE CHRISTIAN 6, SOUTH UMPQUA 5: Second-seeded Cascade Christian conjured up some more late-game magic to break a 5-all tie in the bottom of the sixth inning and then hold on in the Class 3A state quarterfinals at Lithia & Driveway Fields.
The Challengers (23-6) got a leadoff triple from Grady Sickler in the bottom of the sixth after South Umpqua had scored twice in the top of the frame to level the score. With one out, Carson Willard came through with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate the go-ahead run.
The Lancers (19-9) were able to get runners to second and third base with one out following an error, unsuccessful fielder’s choice and a sacrifice bunt. Relief pitcher C.J. Bonner was then able to induce a comebacker by Talen Lamm that led to a pickle between third base and home plate before the lead runner was tagged out.
Leadoff batter Braxton Hamilton then grounded out to shortstop Bryson Walker to put a cap on a tight victory for Cascade.
South Umpqua scored three of its runs in the top of the first inning, leaving the Challengers to play catch-up for the second straight playoff game.
Walker had a leadoff triple in the bottom of the first and scored on a single by Bonner, and Willard drew a bases-loaded walk before a game-tying balk to tie things in the third. Two more Cascade runs scored in the fifth after Wyatt Hurley and Willard were hit by pitches with the bases loaded.
Walker finished 3-for-3 with three runs, while Bonner was 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI and Willard plated three runs without getting a hit.
Cascade Christian will next play host to No. 3 seed Warrenton (23-5) in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Tuesday at L&D Fields. Warrenton beat sixth-seeded North Valley, 6-4, on Friday.
Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035
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