North Medford a team to watch in Oregon high school baseball

Ace right-hander Dominic Daffron helped lead the Black Tornado to a 4-3, extra-inning win over Aloha at the Mountainside Tournament

North Medford senior Colton Miller (4) is mobbed by his teammates after his walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Black Tornado’s 4-3 win over Aloha. / Dan Brood

BEAVERTON — Dominic Daffron was ready to battle.

The rest of the North Medford baseball team was ready to battle.

And the Black Tornado battled and battled and battled their way to victory.

North Medford, getting a winning hit from senior Colton Miller in the bottom of the eighth inning, battled its way back from a three-run deficit to get a 4-3 extra-inning win over the Aloha Warriors at the Mountainside Tournament on Wednesday under sunny skies at Mountainside High School.

“This says we have a lot of integrity and a lot of grit — and we want to win. We’re ready to show any team in the state that,” said Daffron, a senior right-hander who pitched the first seven and two-thirds innings for the Black Tornado. “It was really fun. We stayed in there the whole game, and they were one of the most competitive teams that we’ve played.”

“It took a while, but we got there, as a team,” Miller, a senior outfielder, said after his winning hit. “I think this says how hard we fight until the very end, and we don’t give up. We just keep going.”

North Medford senior Jake Payton takes a swing during the team’s eight-inning victory over Aloha on Wednesday. / Dan Brood

North Medford improved to 3-1.

“I’m proud of the resilience and the never-say-die grit that they showed today,” North Medford coach Kerry Curtis said. “We struggled a little early at the plate. But we put some hits together in the inning when we scored the three (runs, in the sixth inning). It’s resilience, and it’s still a team we’re trying to figure out a little bit — who’s going come to the ballpark wanting to play, wanting to win.”

With Daffron, however, there is no question about his desire for victory.

“He’s our guy,” Curtis said. “He’ll play shortstop when he’s not pitching; he’ll hit in the two-hole. And he’s productive at all spots. He’s a tremendous player for us and has been for several years.”

North Medford senior Dominic Daffron fires a pitch during the Black Tornado’s 4-3 win over Aloha in Wednesday’s game at Mountainside. / Dan Brood

Daffron is coming off a junior season in which he earned second-team all-Southwest Conference honors as a pitcher.

Daffron got his senior season off to a flying start, throwing a complete-game shutout, allowing five hits, striking out nine and walking two, and hitting two doubles in a season-opening 5-0 win at Lake Oswego.

“I want to keep raising the standard and keep going,” Daffron said of his senior season. “I’ve been winning the pitch. I’m feeling stronger, 100 percent.”

“I’m expecting him to just keep doing great on the mound this year,” Miller said.

His coach agrees.

“I’ve known Dom since he was a little guy, and he has grown up so much. He’s going to pitch for Linn-Benton (Community College) next year, and they’re certainly lucky to have him,” Curtis said. “He is such a competitor on the mound, and he has great command of his pitches. He puts the ball where he wants it. He’s not going to strike out 11 guys a game, but he keeps us in it. He’s going to let the defense play for him. And he has a tremendous amount of poise and composure on the mound, even when things get tough.”

Daffron showed his competitiveness, and his tenacity, against Aloha.

He gave up a leadoff double to Aloha senior Jayden Nakamura to start the game. Nakamura came around to score on two groundouts. In the top of the fourth inning, the Warriors turned a hit, an error and a fielder’s choice grounder into two more runs, giving Aloha a 3-0 lead.

The Warriors wouldn’t get any more.

North Medford junior shortstop Ben Morgan makes a throw to first base during the Black Tornado’s 4-3 victory against Aloha. / Dan Brood

Daffron put down the side in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, picking a runner off first base in the seventh.

In the top of the eighth inning, Aloha — getting a leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt, a North Medford error and a hit — loaded the bases with one out. Daffron struck out the next batter – letting out a yell after strike three — before leaving the mound after 114 pitches.

“I felt good,” Daffron said. “I was throwing strikes and the defense was backing me up. It was just really fun.”

“He was amazing,” Miller said. “He got out of some really tough innings and had a great game.”

Daffron gave up two earned runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking one. He seemed to be a bit more fired up taking part in a pitchers duel against Aloha left-hander Achillies Garcia, who shut out the Black Tornado the first five innings.

“It was really fun being in a pitching battle,” Daffron said. “Their guy over there did really good. I’m just glad that we were able to score that final run.”

In the top of the eighth, sophomore Merrick Jonasson took over on the mound for North Medford. He got their third out of the inning on a popup, with Daffron, who moved to shortstop, making the catch.

That set up Miller’s walk-off heroics in the bottom of the frame. With two outs and sophomore Brady Patterson on third, Miller lined a single to right-center field, driving home Patterson and igniting the Black Tornado victory celebration.

North Medford players, including Easton Curtis (3), empty the dugout after the Black Tornado’s 4-3 eight-inning victory over Aloha. / Dan Brood

“I just saw it (the pitch) right down the middle. I wasn’t really thinking — I just swung at it,” Miller said. “Then it all unfolded for me. I could see it right off the bat, going right in the gap. It felt amazing, all of my teammates coming to get me, just the feeling, stepping on first base, watching my teammate touch home plate, watching the run go on the scoreboard was all amazing.”

“Dom pitched great, and we had a lot of confidence in Colton at the plate in the end,” Curtis said. “Everything worked out. We brought in a young kid in the top of the eighth, Merrick, and he had an opportunity and did a nice job, coming in there with the bases loaded.”

Patterson, North Medford’s catcher, had a big day at the plate with three hits, including a double. He scored twice and drove in a run. Senior Easton Curtis singled and scored a run. Senior Macen Baker singled twice, and junior Ben Morgan had a two-run double in the Black Tornado’s three-run sixth inning.

North Medford sophomore catcher Brady Patterson makes a throw to first base after fielding a bunt in Wednesday’s game. / Dan Brood

North Medford, which has some very talented players, including Curtis, a returning first-team all-league outfielder who also shines in football and basketball, is looking for some good things ahead.

“Now we’re looking forward to the rest of the season,” Daffron said. “We’re just looking to stay a team. We’re really close this year, and if we keep that up, we’re going to be way better off.”

“We’re going to keep battling, we’re going to keep fighting, we’re going to keep getting better,” Miller said. “There’s only one way we want to go, and that’s up.”

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App