Beuster, Seth Gilmore and Tyler England each picked up two hits in the contest.
“It was nice to come out and jump on them early and give Jake a little run support,” said Pioneer coach Mike Jameson. “His first couple outings, we didn’t hit the ball well, so it was nice to get in front early and give him a lead to pitch with.”
Entrusted with a sizable lead, Beuster turned in a masterful performance on the mound. The only threat to the third-year Pioneer’s no-hit bid came on a sharp shot to third base that skidded off a glove and into the outfield, eventually being ruled an error.
Game two followed a similar script. Powell threw six runs on the board in the first inning and the team was never seriously threatened while once again working for a five-inning stoppage of play via the 10-run rule.
Olie Olson went 4-for-4 in the nightcap for Powell at the plate. Josh Cragoe added a 3-for-4 showing while Beuster again went 2-for-3 with the bat. Colt Nix took the win on the mound for the Pioneers.
“We went and took care of business,” Jameson said. “Jake and Colt both pitched the ball well and our defense played error-free behind them. That’s big because it means we’re forcing other teams to beat us, rather than helping them out.”
The Pioneers’ coach was also happy to begin conference play with a pair of wins.
“Those are the games that count,” said Jameson. “Those are important wins to get for the end of the year.”
While the Pioneers have several games on their schedule in the days ahead, the team won’t play another conference contest until June 22 when the team hosts Cody for an evening twinbill.