Pioneers struggle over weekend

Posted 6/2/09

Nowhere was that clearer than in Saturday's opening game, when the Pioneers surrendered nine walks and watched eight of them circle the bases to score in a 19-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Powell was also guilty of five errors as the visiting Jays sent …

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Pioneers struggle over weekend

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{gallery}06_02_09/pioneers{/gallery}Teammates Auston Carter, Colter Bostick, Dallas Robirds and Matt McArthur mob Scotty Jameson after the Pioneers' slugger crosses home plate following his second home run of the season on Saturday afternoon. Jameson's bomb over the left field fence produced the first run of the game for Post 26. Tribune photo by Randal Horobik Billings teams take three from Post 26The Powell American Legion Post 26 Pioneers endured a rough weekend of action on the diamond, dropping three of four contests against the Blue Jays and Halos. Both opponents are based out of Billings. “We gave up too many walks and we committed way too many errors on both days,” said Pioneer head coach Jeff Young. “When you give the other team free base runners and then don't make routine plays in the field on defense, that generally leads to trouble.”

Nowhere was that clearer than in Saturday's opening game, when the Pioneers surrendered nine walks and watched eight of them circle the bases to score in a 19-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Powell was also guilty of five errors as the visiting Jays sent the scoreboard soaring despite just six hits.

Powell's only runs of the game came in the first inning. Scotty Jameson clocked a home run down the left field line for the Pioneers' first run. Dallas Robirds followed three batters later with an RBI single to chase home teammate Colter Bostick.

The trio were responsible for the only Powell hits recorded in game one.

Game two saw Jameson head to the mound for Powell. The Pioneers' ace fanned 13 batters as Powell scored a series split with a 7-6 win.

After opening the game by fanning five of the first six batters he faced, Jameson fell behind 4-0 in the third. Powell rallied in the fourth as Andrew Young produced an RBI double and later scored to halve the Blue Jay lead.

Powell took the lead an inning later, sending home four runs with two outs. Jameson held his own cause with an RBI double. Colt Nix also turned in a key blow in the frame with a two-run single that turned out to be the game winner.

Tyler Dahlgren relieved Jameson to record the final five outs of the game to earn the save.

Sunday saw the Pioneers travel to Billings for the start of a three-week marathon road trip on the schedule. The Post 26 squad was swept 8-7 and 5-3 by the Halos, a team it defeated the previous weekend in tournament action.

“We played with wood bats up there,” said Young. “The big thing though was we still made too many mistakes. Grant (Geiser) threw a good game, but we didn't make plays behind him.”

Game one was particularly painful for Young and the Pioneers. Powell carried a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning, only to fall by an 8-7 count.

Bostick went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the contest and also took a no-decision on the hill after throwing five innings in which he allowed just four hits and struck out seven.

Game two followed a similar script as Powell jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third before watching the Halos rally for five runs and a win.

Auston Carter tripled home two runs in the first for Powell. Bostick smacked a one-out triple in the third inning and came in to score a batter later on a double by Tyler Dahlgren.

All five of the Halos' runs in the game were unearned as Geiser was saddled with the tough-luck loss. The two-time all state selection for Powell surrendered seven hits and a pair of walks in the contest while striking out two.

The Pioneers are now 5-5 this summer. The team travels to Riverton on Friday for tournament play. Powell opens against Douglas at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. The team will also face Torrington in an 8 p.m. contest later that night before being placed into bracket play for Saturday and Sunday.

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