Pippins Go Cold in Hot Medford

Medford pitcher Jackson Bertsch and the Rogues bullpen cooled off the bats of the Yakima Valley Pippins on a hot Tuesday night in southern Oregon, giving up only one run late in the game and winning 6-1.

Medford got hot fast with the first three batters getting hits -- Spencer Smith, Christian Cox and Victor Garcia, whose two-RBI single punched out an early 2-0 Rogues lead in the first inning.

In the seventh, Cox hit an RBI single and Garcia got another RBI on a sacrifice fly. Then Nathan Etheridge drove home two more runs to make it 6-0 Medford. The Pippins didn't get on the scoreboard until the ninth inning, when West Coast League Player of the Week Vince Fernandez got an RBI.

Beau Kerns  was impressive in the six innings he pitched, but he took the loss for the Pippins, who are 21-12 on the season and still leading the WCL's East Division.

The Pippins are back in town tonight to host the Thurston County Senators in non-league game that starts at 7:05. Pregame coverage begins at 6:55 on 1460 ESPN Yakima.