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Mustangs split Legion twinbill Klamath Falls tests Medford By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Klamath Falls Falcons pitcher Jake Nelson was determined to keep his team from being swept by the Medford Mustangs. Nelson, a 5-foot-9, 150-pound pitcher from Mazama High, accomplished that goal Tuesday night when he used his own grand slam in the fourth inning and wiggled out of bases-loaded scrapes in the sixth and seventh innings for an 8-7 win over the Mustangs in the second game of an American Legion baseball doubleheader at Miles Field. The Mustangs (43-8 overall, 12-4 in Area 4) won the opening game, 6-2, behind the pitching of Jarred Pagnini and home runs by Jason Brownell and Chuck Shine. Nelson gave himself a 7-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning of the second game with his grand slam. The homer capped a five-run rally against Medford pitcher Brent Foster. "I had been swinging and missing all night, but I laid back on that one (pitch)," said Nelson. "I hit it pretty good, and it felt even better. "I knew I needed all of those runs because they ( the Mustangs) can score runs," said Nelson. Nelson threw 161 pitches in seven innings and escaped bases-loaded situations in the sixth and seventh innings to gain the win. Shine stroked a two-run single up the middle with two outs in the seventh inning to cut the Klamath Falls lead to 8-7. Nelson ended the game by striking out Foster with the potential tying and winning runs on base. "It's nice to beat that team," said Nelson. "My old coach (former Falcons and Mazama High coach Pete Whisler) now coaches for them and I wanted to do well in front of him. It felt a little odd trying to beat him after all he did for me. He's real big in our family." The Mustangs scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a three-run home run by Jim Pickrel to cut Klamath's lead to 7-5. The Falcons scored an insurance run in the seventh when Nelson doubled and scored on a single by T.J. Farley. In the Mustangs' seventh, Pickrel doubled, Pagnini walked and Nate Mayben walked to load the bases. Shine followed with his two-out single up the middle. But Nelson struck out Foster on a fastball to end the game. In the opener, Pagnini allowed seven hits and struck out 10 batters. He walked just one in running his record to 8-1. "He didn't have his best stuff but it was good enough to win," said Mustangs manager Sandee Kensinger. "We had lost five out of six games by playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Tonight, we were aggressive and playing to win again." Medford scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning of the opener. Pickrel had a two-run single and Brownell drove in a run with a single. Shine's solo homer came in the third and Brownell's followed in the fourth. Pickrel led the Mustangs with four hits in seven at-bats in the doubleheader, including two doubles and a home run. He drove in five runs in the doubleheader. Brownell was 3-for-5 in the two games for Medford with three runs and three RBIs. Shine was 3-for-4 in the doubleheader for the Mustangs. FIRST GAME Klamath Falls ..................100 010 0 -- 2 7 1 Medford Mustangs ...........311 100 x -- 6 7 1 Tacchini and Nelson; Pagnini and Brownell. WP -- Pagnini (8-1). L -- Tacchini. 2B -- K: Nelson; M: Brownell. HR -- M: Brownell, Shine. SECOND GAME Klamath Falls ................002 500 1 -- 8 10 2 Medford Mustangs .........002 030 2 -- 7 10 1 Nelson and Mortenson; Foster, Conklin (6) and Brownell. W -- Nelson. L -- Foster. 2B -- K: Nelson; M: Brownell. HR -- K: Nelson, Tacchini; M: Pickrel. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.