Pioneers defeat Laurel in only meeting of the season For two years, they've consistently been two of the top Class A American Legion programs in the region. For two years, the only place to see the Powell Pioneers and the Laurel Dodgers face off on a diamond has been at the Northwest regional tournament. And just like last season, the Pioneers were able to register a victory over their Montana neighbors to stay alive in tournament action.

In many ways, Laurel was its own worst enemy in the contest. The Dodgers were guilty of six errors in the game. Six of the Pioneers' eight runs in the contest were unearned as a result.

The contest started out as a pitchers' duel. Beuster danced out of danger in the first, second and fourth innings, thanks to some timely defensive plays behind him. Laurel finally scored the game's first run with a solo home run to left field in the fifth.

Powell leveled the score in the bottom half of the inning despite not recording a hit. The Pioneers worked for two walks in the inning and saw another two batters hit by pitches to account for their run.

Colter Bostick opened the sixth inning with a single and advanced on a bunt single from Tyler England. Both runners advanced an extra base when the late throw to try and get England at first base sailed wide and bounded down the right field line.

Dallas Robirds' ground ball up the middle was good enough for an RBI, giving Powell a 2-1 lead.

Powell added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh — again managing to score despite not recording a hit in the inning — for a 4-1 lead. Laurel brought one run across in the top of the eighth, but Powell chased four runs across in the bottom of the eighth after recording three of their six hits in the contest in that inning.

With rains falling in the top of the ninth, the two-time Montana champions rallied for three runs before Powell managed its final out.

Beuster threw 7.2 innings for the Pioneers. He allowed seven hits and walked six, but was charged with just two runs. Beuster also struck out four batters. Scotty Jameson earned the save, throwing the final four outs, surrendering three runs and striking out three.

In order to reach Tuesday's showdown with Laurel, the Pioneers had to face another familiar foe from the 2009 tournament. Powell and the Bonneville Bees —first-round tournament opponents last season in Utah — hooked up in a Monday afternoon elimination contest. Unlike the ‘09 game, which required some ninth-inning heroics by the Pioneers, this year's game contained no such drama.

Powell worked the Bees' pitching staff for 10 walks over the first five innings. The Pioneers brought eight of those free passes in to score while building a 9-2 lead before the contest was stopped for more than an hour due to lightning, rain and hail.

The Bees returned from the break to immediately plate a run, but Powell recorded 11 of its 17 hits in the contest after play resumed. The Pioneers added five runs during the late-inning onslaught to put the game away.

Grant Geiser finished 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. Josh Cragoe added three hits and two RBIs as every member of the Pioneers' batting order recorded at least one hit. Auston Carter, Tyler England and Dallas Robirds each finished with two RBIs as well.