Can a game be called a slugfest without a home run hit?

When the final score is 19-15, slugfest sure does seem to fit.

The Powell Pioneers started the weekend in wild fashion Friday, heading down U.S. Highway 14-A to take on Cody’s American Legion “B” team.

The drive down was likely shorter than most of the innings played that night, as there was just one frame that went by without a run from either side, while both teams scored in an inning five times.

Powell opened things up with two runs in the top of the first, on Tyler Feller and Luke Washington singles, but saw the junior Cubs answer back with five runs.

The Pioneers evened the score with three in the top of the second, with Kaden Moore getting it started with a double to center.

Cameron Schmidt moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Teagan Cordes took one for the team in getting hit by a pitch.

Cordes would steal second and when Ezra Andreason reached on an error, both runners came in to score.

Andreason was able to get all the way to third on the misplay, and would race in as Ben Jackson made it to first on a dropped third strike.

The 5-5 score didn’t last long, however, as Cody put up two more in the bottom of the second for a 7-5 lead.

Again Powell climbed back to tie the score at 7-7 with two more runs in the top of the third.

Bennett Walker drew a walk with one out and got to third when Kaden Moore reached on an error and alertly made it to second.

Schmidt then singled to right and both runners scored to knot things up again.

But again, Cody had an answer, this time in the form of a seven-run bottom half, which included a single, three walks, three hit batters and three consecutive doubles.

The fourth inning was the only one where neither team put any runs on the board, but the Pioneers started climbing back into it with four in the top of the fifth.

In the inning, Andreason knocked in two runs with a double and was driven in when Jackson hit his own double.

Zavier Wantulok then made it three doubles in a row for Powell, driving home Jackson and making it a 14-11 game.

The Cubbies stretched the lead back out with two runs, though they didn’t have a hit, in the bottom of the fifth.

Four walks and a hit batter gave them the two runs that made it a 16-11 game.

But three more Pioneer runs would cross in the sixth to cut into the lead yet again.

Back-to-back doubles from Washington and Carson Asher made it 16-12, with Moore then singling Asher to third.

Cordes singled to left, scoring Asher and moving Moore to third and, after Andreason walked to load the bases, Jackson hit a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 16-14 margin.

Cody strung together four singles for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to four at 18-14.

Powell added one more in the seventh, with a Moore sacrifice fly driving Washington in, but that would be all the Pioneers would muster, while the Cubs added an insurance run in the eighth to provide for the final score.

“That was a game to go to,” Asher said afterward. “It was just crazy.”

Unfortunately, the offense wouldn’t be quite as productive in losses against Sheridan in Saturday’s double-header.

The opener was a more evenly balanced game than the final 10-2 score would indicate, as Powell batters were set down in order in only one inning and would out-hit the visitors 10 to 4.

But an error and four walks in the first led to three Sheridan runs.

Things were quiet until the fourth when two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Sheridan.

Another batter got plunked, forcing in a run, and Jeff Shanor hit a single to right that drove in a run.

On the liner to left, Wantulok made a diving effort to snare it on the fly, but saw the ball drop and continue past him, allowing two more runs to come in for a 7-0 lead.

On to the sixth, Tyler Feller came on in relief of Asher and retired his first batter, but took a Carl Goertz hard liner back up the middle off his leg and sending him to the bench.

Washington then took over and after Goertz stole second, Blake King greeted him with a single to center.

Goertz tried making it in to score on the hit, but center-fielder Cordes fired it in to get him at the plate.

Washington would soon get a pop-up to second to end the inning.

Sheridan did add three more in the top of the seventh on two walks, a sacrifice bunt, an error, a hit batter, a wild pitch, a balk and a ground out, to stretch the lead to 10-0.

Powell still had some fight left and got on the board in its final at bat.

Walker singled to center and Washington followed suit, with a misplay on Washington’s single allowing Walker to score.

Asher then smashed one over the left-fielder’s head to the fence for an RBI double.

Moore drew a walk and with one out, Cordes ripped a frozen rope to center.

But the hard shot was nabbed by the Sheridan center fielder and soon Quinn McCafferty finished off his complete game.

Saturday’s second game was one of those the team would just as soon forget as the visitors’ offense clicked into overdrive and ran over the Pioneers by a 23-0 score.

“That second game was a tough one, but the guys kept their heads up and never let up, effort wise,” interim head coach George Laughlin said. “We outhit Sheridan in the first game and just gave up too many free passes to give ourselves a chance against a quality team.”

The effort and never-say-die attitude is evident in the squad, and even amid the current 12-game losing streak, positives are being seen.

“The biggest positive right now is our guys are getting lots of playing time and with that comes valuable experience,” Laughlin said. “The speed of the game will start to slow down for them and we’ll be that much more competitive as the season goes on. The guys have a great attitude and understand the work that needs to be done. Everyone from our board to coaching staff and especially the players, are confident we’ll be able to make a run when the district and state tournaments come around.”

The team still has time to add to their experience, with action continuing this weekend at a tournament in Cody beginning Thursday.