North Medford battles back but can’t stave off Sherwood for 6A title
Published 11:40 am Sunday, June 8, 2025
No. 4 Black Tornado erase 4-0 deficit in sixth inning, but No. 3 Bowmen counter immediately to decide championship final
EUGENE — Challenged every step of the way Saturday, North Medford had its moments but couldn’t get over the top to clinch a highly desired Class 6A softball state championship by the end of the day at Jane Sanders Stadium here in Eugene.
Third-seeded Sherwood showed with all its might how potent of an offense it brings to the diamond — building a 4-0 lead through two innings — and then answered a gritty comeback effort by the No. 4 Black Tornado to secure a 10-6 triumph for the Bowmen’s first state title.
(Kris Henry / Rogue Valley Times)
And as much as there was disappointment among the North Medford faithful to miss a potential ninth state championship in program history (first since 2017), there was also an appreciation for a remarkable season that resulted in the team’s first Southwest Conference title since 2021 and first trip beyond the quarterfinals in seven years.
“I’m happy to be a part of the Black Tornado family,” said senior first baseman Caileigh Raines. “I’m happy for every one of my coaches and every one of my players. We fell short, but we’re still here. We played on the U of O campus in the Jane Sanders Stadium, we couldn’t have wished for a better ending, other than winning.”
For the better part of the contest, winning didn’t seem much of an option against the Bowmen (29-3), who already boasted an 8-1 win over North Medford (24-7) on May 20.
That all changed in a big way in the top of the sixth inning, when the Tornado was able to erase a 4-0 deficit and put genuine concern into the Sherwood dugout.
“There’s no amount of runs that will keep us down,” said Raines, who finished 2-for-3 with one RBI. “We’ll always fight back for each other, no matter what, and if it’s a possibility, we’re going to take it.”
As she’s been apt to do all season, junior Maili Hamlin fought back from an 0-2 hole against reliever Presley Sarono-Ramos to notch a single into center field, then used her speed to reach third base on a stolen base where the throw by catcher McKenna Parmalee got into the outfield and allowed Hamlin to push the situation.
Maleyah Thoele then reached safely on a squeeze bunt that allowed Hamlin to race home for North’s first run, bringing a bit more hope to the Tornado’s side.
(Kris Henry / Rogue Valley Times)
Natalie Tlascala then hit into a fielder’s choice to the shortstop, but her speed negated a potential inning-ending, double-play effort. After Tlascala stole second base, Becca Tuivanu was able to draw a walk — replaced on the basepaths by Riley Smalley — and then Raines poked a single into center field to draw North closer at 2-1.
With runners on the corners — Reese Drysdale now running for Raines — and momentum all going North’s direction, Sherwood brought back starter Destiny Cornwell to face Julia Edwards, who got the start inside the circle and was dialed in for this particular at-bat, to be sure.
Edwards cranked a game-tying, two-run double to the left-center fence to make it 4-all and bring a huge eruption out of the sophomore, as well as her teammates in the dugout.
“I felt that I needed to do something for my team,” said Edwards, I kept on striking out and popping up and swinging at those riseballs, and I knew I had to wait and sit on it to find my pitch and then when I found it, I just drove it and tried to get my team back at it again.”
At that point, North Medford was outhitting Sherwood, 7-3, and finally got something to show for it on the scoreboard.
Cornwell was able to keep things level with a strikeout of Sadie Hall to quell the scoring surge.
“To come out in the sixth inning and do what we did and get those runs,” said North Medford head coach Chris Campbell, “it just showed that we’re not going to lay down for anybody and we’re going to come out and fight as hard as we can. We finally got some things working and put those four runs up there to tie the game. Unfortunately, we just didn’t hang onto it in the bottom of the sixth.”
(Kris Henry / Rogue Valley Times)
That fateful bottom half saw Sarono-Ramos reach safely on a close play at first base following a slow roller to second baseman Kaelyn Russell-Tyler, and then Berklee Henning singled up the middle. The Bowmen attempted a double steal but Hall alertly threw to a covering Tlascala at third base to get the lead runner.
North Medford, however, couldn’t build off that defensive gem as Hollie Maughan plated the go-ahead run on a double to the right-center gap, and then Destiny Cornwell reached safely on an error by Tuivanu at third.
Edwards then hit Camryn Knight to load the bases with one out, and some confusion ensued as Maughan was on the move from third base with a 3-0 count and trotted home, looking back at least once, before crossing the plate without a play on a ball deemed to be a strike after a delayed call.
The Tornado was granted an out on the “illusion rule” on Knight at first base for changing directions after the ball was in the circle, but Sherwood still got the run to go up 6-4 and on the next pitch — after Daisha Cornwell was brought back to the plate and the count moved to 3-1 — the lefty laced an RBI single through the right side to make it 7-4.
Campbell then turned to senior pitcher Malia Baker to mitigate the damage, but Maisy Schindler greeted her with a two-run home run to center field. After a walk, Parmalee tacked on an RBI double to right-center for Sherwood’s sixth run on the at-bat — and 10th run total.
(Kris Henry / Rogue Valley Times)
North Medford hadn’t allowed a team to reach double figures since May 2 against Roseburg, and Saturday’s showing by the Bowmen was only the third time overall.
“They are very strong and they have a good team,” Edwards said of Sherwood, “and they’ll be good for the next couple of years. It’ll be a battle between us two, so I’m excited to see what comes up next against them.”
North Medford, again, didn’t go away gently as Jaycee Russell-Tyler hit a one-out single, Hamlin walked and, with two outs, Tlascala ripped a two-skipper to the fence in right-center for a two-run double. Any further rally was negated when Tuivanu’s liner was snared in the circle by Destiny Cornwell for the final out.
“All that matters to me is that we got that many runs on the board and that we worked as hard as we did pushing through the heat,” said Tlascala on the sun-baked Eugene turf.
“I leave here the most proud that we all had a positive attitude throughout the whole entire thing,” added the shortstop, who went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs and joined Schindler as the announced players of the game. “We could’ve let everything be negative, honestly how everything turned out early, but we always found the positive outcome through everything that we did.”
Campbell agreed, noting how many teams would love to trade positions with the Black Tornado on Saturday.
“There’s a lot of really good teams that are at home right now,” he said, “and we were one of the two that got to come up here and play for a state championship. That’s the exciting part of this game, is anybody has a chance on any given day, and that’s all we ask for. We were given our chance today, unfortunately we just didn’t come out on the right end of it.”
(Kris Henry / Rogue Valley Times)
As the Black Tornado players surveyed the final medal ceremony and the celebration across the diamond, Tlascala said one thought was clear throughout the sizable group of expected North returners.
“We all told each other that we’re going to be back here,” she said. “That’s the plan, to get back here, and we know we’re going to get back here because we really want it. This next time we’re going to win and we’re going to get it.”
Things looked good before they just didn’t materialize in the early going Saturday.
Thoele singled into right field and Tlascala earned an infield single in the top of the first to give the Black Tornado early hope, but Tuivanu’s chopper to third base was gobbled up by Henning and turned into an inning-ending double play.
Sherwood used that momentum to strike in the bottom half of the frame, with Schindler turning on the first of two home runs Saturday for a laser shot over the left field fence. Jordyn Henderson followed with a triple off the wall in right-center for a triple, and came home to make it 2-0 on a wild pitch.
Every ensuing ball was also struck with power, leading to a double before a nice running catch by Jaycee Russell-Tyler in center field and similar tough grab by left fielder Hamlin as she had to stand her ground on a liner that got right on her and was tracking to the wall head-high.
(Kris Henry / Rogue Valley Times)
Raines singled in the second, but was thrown out on a stolen base attempt, and Sherwood doubled its advantage in the bottom half when Maughan struck out but was able to reach when the third strike got away from Hall behind the plate.
After a walk and a sacrifice bunt, Edwards induced a fielder’s choice to Raines, who quickly turned and threw the ball to Tuivanu at third to hang up the lead runner between the bases, but Maughan was able to avoid a tag at the plate when Tuivanu relayed home to Hall. Schindler added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 on another strong catch on the warning track by Jaycee Russell-Tyler, then Tlascala smoothly got the third out on a grounder by Henderson.
Edwards allowed seven hits and eight runs — five unearned — with two walks and one strikeout.
“I put all my trust in my team,” said Edwards. “I honestly don’t think I could’ve done it without them. I’m just so proud of how everybody battled hard to the end. Nobody let up and nobody gave up.”
North Medford 000 004 2 — 6 9 1
Sherwood 220 006 x — 10 9 1
Edwards, Baker (6) and Hall; De. Cornwell, Sarono-Ramos (4), De. Cornwell (6) and Parmalee. W — De. Cornwell. L — Edwards. 2B — NM: Tlascala, Edwards; S: Parmalee 2, Maughan. 3B — S: Henderson. HR — S: Schindler 2.
Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035
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