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55 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, September 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 6, 2004 Mustangs continue torrid play at state tournament GRANTS PASS — The Medford Mustangs took lessons learned from their first-round scare at the American Legion AAA double-elimination state tournament to heart. Medford nearly gave away Wednesday’s opener against McMinnville before rebounding for an 11-10 victory. Thursday’s outing wouldn’t be as trying for the Mustangs, however. Medford pounded out 12 hits and took advantage of spotty defensive play by the Grants Nuggets for a 14-4 victory in seven innings at Riverside West All Sports Park. Medford, now 2-0 in the tournament, will play the other unbeaten team, defending state champion Corvallis Richey’s Market at 8 tonight. Grants Pass will take on the Salem Withnell Dodgers at 3:30 p.m., with McMinnville Colvin Auto and the Northwest Star White Sox meeting at 11:30 a.m. Advertisement Medford had a comfortable lead in Wednesday’s contest but gave it all back during an eight-run eighth inning for McMinnville. But with Chad Hegdahl on the mound and the Mustang bats finding their groove, that mistake wouldn’t be duplicated. Hegdahl scattered seven hits and the hot Medford bats gave him a cushion to work with. Medford, the No. 2 seed from Area 4, scored nine runs over the fourth and fifth innings to break up a 2-all tie. A single run in the bottom of the seventh ended the game due to the 10-run mercy rule. The Nuggets committed three of their five errors to aid Medford’s five-run fourth and Grants Pass (24-21) pitchers combined to walk seven and hit four Mustang batters over the course of the game. Hegdahl went the distance to record his fifth win against three losses. "I just wanted to go out there and throw a good game," he said. "I threw a lot of fastballs today. I had some good movement on it and, for the most part, I was hitting my spots. Hegdahl contributed just one of Medford’s 12 total hits but finished with four RBIs. "We’re finally hitting the ball and that builds confidence," said the left-handed Hegdahl. "And our defense is playing good." The Mustangs (32-13), who didn’t qualify for the state tournament last season, rallied from an early 2-0 deficit with a pair of runs in the third inning. Kyle Williamson, Corey O’Neill and Hegdahl each provided hits during the inning. The Mustangs had only one extra base hit — a solo home run by Logan Boyd to lead off the sixth — and scored in every inning but the first and second. Williamson finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Boyd was 2-for-5 with an RBI and O’Neill 2-for-3. Abe Eubank went 1-for-4 but finished with three RBIs. Ariah Nead blasted a solo shot in the first inning for Grants Pass. In Thursday’s other games, the Salem Withnell Dodgers beat Redmond, 9-1, McMinnville Colvin Auto edged Southridge Dr. Barneys 6-4, and Corvallis routed the Northwest Star White Sox, 11-1. Both Southridge and Redmond were eliminated from the tournament. Grants Pass Nuggets...............101 010 1 — 4 7 5 Medford Mustangs..............002 542 1 — 14 12 1 Seegmiller, Frantz (5), Girodat (6), Frederick (6) and Saeman; Hegdahl and Folsom. W — Hegdahl (5-3). L — Seegmiller. 2B — GP: Frederick, Mills. HR — GP: Nead; M: Boyd (3). Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities