Document text
Mustangs' season ends The Medford Mustangs failed the make the American Legion AA state playoffs for the second straight year when they split a regular-season ending doubleheader against the Bay Area Rams of Coos Bay Thursday at Miles Field. Bay Area clinched the league's No. 3 playoff spot when it defeated Medford 11-8 in the opener. The Mustangs salvaged some pride with a 10-7 win in the nightcap. Medford (33-17, 14-10 Area 4) needed to sweep Bay Area to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Mustangs could have tied or moved ahead of the Rams depending on the outcome in Sunday's final doubleheader between Bay Area and Area-4 leading Roseburg. Prior to last year, Medford had reached the state playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons. In the opener, Mustangs' starter Matt Skundrick struck out 12, but the Rams pounded out 14 hits. Medford trailed 11-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, then mounted an exciting four-run rally. Tony Conklin, a hero in Medford's second-game victory Wednesday against the Eugene Challengers, took a called third strike with the bases loaded against Rams reliever Brett Fitzgerald to end the game. Fitzgerald struck out two of the three batters he faced. Jacob Hunt sparked Bay Area with three hits - including a double and home run - and three RBIs. Winning pitcher Joe Wangerin and center fielder Boo Christian each added three hits. Medford had four players - Tyler Engle, Skundrick, Rob Folsom and Travis Dunlap - collect two hits each. The Rams jumped on Conklin for four runs in the first inning of the second game, but the Medford starting pitcher threw well after that. Conklin ended with eight strikeouts. The Mustangs used a four-run third to cut its deficit to 5-4, then exploded for six runs in the sixth inning. Evan McArthur provided the key blow in both of the Mustangs' rallies with a pair of two-run singles. In the sixth, the Mustangs combined three hits, three walks and an error to take a 10-6 lead. FIRST GAME Bay Area Rams............................210 013 4 - 11 14 7 Medford Mustangs......................001 012 4 - 8 11 3 Wangerin, Fitzgerald (7) and Espinoza; Skundrick and Folsom. W - Wangerin. L - Skundrick (5-4). 2B - BA: Christianson, Del Prete, Wangerin, Hunt, Lancaster, Espinoza; M: McArthur, Ouellette. HR - BA: Hunt. SECOND GAME Bay Area Rams.................................401 010 1 - 7 8 4 Medford Mustangs...........................004 006 x - 10 9 1 Richards, Roberts (4). Smith (6) and Kuehn; Conklin and Folsom. W - Conklin (8-4). L - Smith. 2B - BA: Christianson 2, Kuehn, Grassham; MM: Ouellette, Conklin, Henneman. BABE RUTH SOUTH STATE TOURNAMENT - At Maline, the Medford 13-year-old All-Stars suffered a 5-2 lost to Willamette of Eugene in the quarterfinals. Medford will try to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament at 3 p.m. today in a loser's bracket game. Tommy George and Tyler Heil each had doubles for Medford, which fell to 1-1 in the tournament. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.