North Medford and Bend are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2019, but likely not for long. The Black Tornado will host the Lava Bears at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
The home team had won the previous five meetings between North Medford and South Medford, and North Medford kept the tradition alive. The Black Tornado came out on top against the Panthers by a score of 6-3 on Wednesday. The Black Tornado's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Dominic Daffron
| 04/02/25 vs South Medford | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Aloha | 1 |
| 03/21/25 @ Lake Oswego | 2 |
Dominic Daffron made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
Daffron wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Easton Curtis, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Those two hits gave Curtis a new career-high. Macen Baker also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, while Bend put up some runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Lebanon. The Lava Bears walked away with a 5-0 win over the Warriors. While the Lava Bears didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Like North Medford, Bend also got a great game from a two-way player: Cash Hattenhauer. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Hattenhauer was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cole Cooper, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Lewis Knapp, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
North Medford's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Bend, their victory bumped their record up to 7-1.
North Medford skirted past Bend 7-5 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Do the Black Tornado have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lava Bears turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
