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.

The Powell Minors turned the tables in their second contest, posting a 14-5 win over North Big Horn. Powell was in control from the start, scoring the tournament-maximum five runs in the first inning to open an immediate lead.

Jeremy Herd, Jacob Herd and Jaxson Carter each had multiple hit games, but paled in comparison to Carson Heinen’s 3-for-4 performance that accounted for 4 RBIs.

Heinen also received credit for his glove work at first base by the Powell coaches.

On Saturday, Powell faced North Big Horn in a rematch. Trailing 7-4 after four innings of play, Powell’s bats roared to life.

Jeremy Herd’s double chased home Zane Cordes. Heinen followed with a double to plate Herd, pulling Powell within a run.

In the sixth inning, Reece Hackenberg tied the game on an inside-the-park home run after driving the ball to the base of the outfield wall. Powell batters then reached safely on a parade of five successive walks and cruised for an 11-9 victory.

Herd also struck out seven North Big Horn batters on four solid innings of work.

The win advanced Powell into another rematch contest, this time against the Cody Stampede. Like the first game, the championship tilt finished in Cody’s favor, this time by an 11-1 final.

Powell managed just two hits in the game. Hackenberg’s single to open the final inning. After stealing second, Hackenberg was chased home on an RBI single off the bat of Heinen.

“With only a handful of practices, the second place finish was well earned,” Chris Brown, one of the organizers for Powell Little League, said of the Minors’ performance. “Cody has been practicing for weeks and was well-travelled to multiple area tournaments.”