NWC’s Gill takes no score on opening night in Casper

The 2011 College National Finals Rodeo opened Sunday night in Casper. For local products Kaleb Asay and J.R. Vezain, the night held good news. For Northwest College’s lone representative, the opening night wasn’t nearly as rosy.

Bareback rider Jordan Gill, the only NWC rider to earn a spot in college rodeo’s pinnacle event this season, failed to cover the eight seconds needed to earn a score. He was one of a scant number of riders who failed to take a score in round 1 and will need to turn in two solid rides in order to have any shot at advancing to this weekend’s final round.

Local Youth get taste of tourney action

The Powell Little League sent a minors-division team to Lovell for tournament action and had that team return with runner-up honors. The tournament was the first of the season for Powell.

Powell opened with a 10-0 loss to a more-experienced Cody team. Jacob Herd smacked a base hit in the contest while Kaelan Groves turned a double play from the shortstop position to provide the highlights.

Sheridan snaps Powell winning streak

Down late in a pair of games Tuesday afternoon, the Sheridan Troopers found a way to rally in the late innings and capture a doubleheader sweep against Powell in American Legion baseball action. Sheridan won the opener by a 9-3 count before winning the nightcap 5-4.

“We had a chance in both games and didn’t do the things we needed to do,” said Pioneer coach Mike Jameson. “I don’t know if it was the long weekend or what, but we didn’t look very motivated out there.”

Sheridan snaps Powell winning streak

Down late in a pair of games Tuesday afternoon, the Sheridan Troopers found a way to rally in the late innings and capture a doubleheader sweep against Powell in American Legion baseball action. Sheridan won the opener by a 9-3 count before winning the nightcap 5-4.

“We had a chance in both games and didn’t do the things we needed to do,” said Pioneer coach Mike Jameson. “I don’t know if it was the long weekend or what, but we didn’t look very motivated out there.”

Legion Team surrenders two runs in five games

The Powell Pioneers began the season concerned with how a short bench could impact the team’s pitching performance in tournaments this season. It’s probably a safe bet those concerns aren’t quite as big now.

Five Powell pitchers turned in five complete-game performances over the weekend as the Pioneers captured the championship of the Roy Peck Memorial wood bat tournament. In 31 innings of work, Powell pitchers surrendered just two runs over the weekend.

Legion Team surrenders two runs in five games

The Powell Pioneers began the season concerned with how a short bench could impact the team’s pitching performance in tournaments this season. It’s probably a safe bet those concerns aren’t quite as big now.

Five Powell pitchers turned in five complete-game performances over the weekend as the Pioneers captured the championship of the Roy Peck Memorial wood bat tournament. In 31 innings of work, Powell pitchers surrendered just two runs over the weekend.

Pioneers run-rule Lovell twice

The Powell Pioneers began Northwest Conference play last Wednesday with a doubleheader sweep of Lovell at Cowley. Jake Beuster threw a no-hitter in the opener as Powell took a 10-0 victory. The Pioneers were 13-2 winners in the nightcap.

Powell jumped on Lovell early in both games. The Pioneers tallied five runs in the first inning of game one and stretched that to a 9-0 lead after adding four runs in the second. The team cruised from there, adding one more run and ending the contest on the run rule.

In the wake of Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel resigning last week, the issue of paying college athletes to play has once again been thrust into the national spotlight. Tressel’s undoing ultimately began when five Buckeyes players were discovered to have exchanged various personal awards and memorabilia for reduced rates at a local tattoo parlor.

Rain washes out two more games

The Powell Pioneers American Legion baseball team was able to take the field for two games on Saturday. Head coach Mike Jameson may have wished the rain that washed out the team’s other two Memorial Day weekend games would have arrived sooner.

The Pioneers dropped a 3-2 contest to Lewistown, Mont., in a game where Powell managed just one hit, but still found itself in a position to win heading into the final inning. The team then dropped a night game to the Casper Drillers by a 12-4 margin.

Hansen should excite NWC fans

Call it a daily double for Northwest College men’s basketball coach Andy Ward. Weeks after announcing the signing of Colorado’s top prep rebounder, Jeffrey Solarin, to a letter of intent, the Trapper head coach went south of the border to ink an agreement with the state’s top scorer as well.