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Split ends Steen era at KU GRANTS PASS - An emotional day for the Klamath Union baseball team ended with a fitting sendoff to their longtime coach on Friday. The Pelicans held Grants Pass to four hits during a 3-1 win in Game 2 of a Southern Oregon Conference doubleheader split. The Cavemen scored a 5-4, nine-inning win in the opener. The nightcap win was the final game for retiring Klamath coach Dave Steen, who leaves the Pelicans after 25 years as head coach. Under Steen, KU won two state championships. "It was a pretty emotional day for them," said Grants Pass coach Stacy Morgan. "His kids played pretty inspired in the second game. "I never want to see our kids lose, but it was an emotional time for Klamath. He'll (Steen) be missed." Jeff Mortenson led the Pelicans as he and his brother Jason accounted for all three KU runs in Game 2. In the opener, pinch-runner Brant Minor came around from second to score the game-winner for the Cavemen on Brian Richard's ninth-inning single to center field. Derrick Draper scored the tying run on a Speedy Ortiz RBI double. Following an intentional walk, Morgan inserted Minor for Ortiz in leading up to Richard's heroics. "It was an exciting way to finish," said Morgan, whose Cavemen finished the year 5-9 in the SOC. "The kids were out jumping around, so that was a nice way to end the game." Jeff Mortenson gave the Pelicans a brief 2-1 lead in the third inning with a mammoth, two-run home run to center field. "The ball he hit was a no-doubter," said Morgan. "He really got a hold of it." Richard and Bruce Voges each had three hits for Grants Pass, while Brady Howe added two. Eric Lukkari went 2-for-4 to lead Klamath Union. The Pelicans ended Steen's tenure with the school with a 4-10 conference mark. FIRST GAME Klamath Union................................002 000 001 - 4 5 1 Grants Pass...................................100 001 002 - 5 10 1 Caleb and Ja. Mortenson; Rettke, Draper (9) and Ortiz. W - Draper. L - Caleb. 2B - GP: Ortiz, Howe, Richard. HR - KU: Je. Mortenson. SECOND GAME Klamath Union.....................................101 000 1 - 3 7 0 Grants Pass..........................................100 000 0 - 1 4 0 Landrum and Ja. Mortenson; Howe and Richards. W - Landrum. L - Howe. 2B - KU: Ja. Mortenson, James. 3B - KU: Je. Mortenson. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.