After a five game winning streak was snapped in Billings the weekend prior, the Powell Pioneers returned to Montana this past weekend and left with a four-game win streak. Powell earned an extra inning 6-4 win over Gallatin Valley and a 5-3 win to complete the sweep Saturday, before defeating Laurel 18-2 and 4-0 on Sunday to win four straight.

POWELL 6, GALLATIN VALLEY 4 (F/8)

Looking to get back on track in Three Forks the Pioneers (9-3) battled with the Outlaws (4-2) on Saturday.

Neither team found offense over the first two innings, before Powell got on the board in the top of the third.

Jacob Gibson walked to lead off the inning and an error allowed Aiden Greenwald to reach.

A sac bunt by Ethan Welch advanced the runners before Brock Johnson hit a double and brought in both to make it 2-0.

Cade Queen hit a two-out single to bring in Johnson, before Trey Stenerson hit a triple to score Queen and make it 4-0 for the Pioneers.

“Trey smoked a couple that would have been out (of the park) in a couple places,” manager Jason Borders said. 

Gallatin Valley got one on the board in the bottom of the fourth after a pair of singles and an error, but was unable to cut further into the lead.

In the bottom of the fifth an error coupled with a pair of walks loaded the bases, before a bases clearing double scored three and made it 4-4.

Powell had an opportunity to win it in the top of the seventh, with Gibson getting on through a one out single before Greenwald and Welch walked to load the bases.

The Pioneers were unable to find a winning formula, which gave the Outlaws the opportunity to end the game.

A walk led off the seventh before a one-out double put two runners in scoring position for the hosts.

On a fielder’s choice Queen threw home to get the lead runner out, and the Pioneers found a third out to send the game to an eighth inning.

Queen led off with a single before Stenerson and Dalton Worstell were walked to load the bases, and Cole Fauskee hit a double to score two.

“I feel like Cole is going to be that guy that gets hits when you need them,” Borders said. 

Powell was unable to find any additional help, but Jordan Loera finished the game on the mound and didn’t allow any baserunners to give Powell the 6-4 win.

Johnson and Fauskee finished with two RBIs each, while Queen and Stenerson each had one.

On the mound the Pioneers combined for seven strikeouts, while walking five between four pitchers. Each team had six hits while the Pioneers had two errors compared to one for the Outlaws.

POWELL 5, GALLATIN VALLEY 3

That win rejuvenated the Pioneers, who were looking for the sweep in the second contest that did not feature offense until late.

The closest a team came to scoring until the final two innings was the bottom of the fifth for the Outlaws, who loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth but couldn’t find a run.

Powell found its scoring touch in the top of the sixth, starting with a lead off single by Johnson before he stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch to get into scoring position.

Jhett Schwahn was walked and then stole second before Queen hit a single to score Johnson, and stole second before Stenerson hit another single to score Schwahn and make it 2-0.

Worstell hit a ground out to score Queen and give Powell a 3-0 lead.

Gallatin Valley responded in the bottom half of the sixth, using a single, a hit batter and a wild pitch to get runners in scoring position before a single scored a pair and made it 3-2.

Powell got insurance in the top of the seventh, starting with a leadoff single from Fauskee.

He stole second, before a Loera bunt led to an extra base error and scored Fauskee to make it 4-2.

“I can’t say enough about what Jordan has done stepping into different spots,” Borders said. “He hasn’t gotten to swing it a lot this year since I’ve bunted him. That’s nice to have in your lineup.”

Loera eventually stole third before a two-out single from Queen scored him and made it 5-2.

Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Outlaws with one out, and a third single scored a runner to make it 5-3.

An infield fly and a strikeout ended the game and the Pioneers survived with a 5-3 win.

Queen had 10 strikeouts in 5-1/3 innings on the mound, with three pitchers combining for only one walk.

Queen also led the Pioneers by going 3-4 at the plate with two RBIs, Stenerson and Worstell each had RBIs for the Pioneers.

POWELL 18, LAUREL 2

The Pioneers were hoping to keep rolling on Sunday in Laurel, taking on the Dodgers (0-4).

Offense came early and often for the Pioneers, bursting out the gates from the jump.

Johnson led off with a double and was brought in by a Schwahn double.

Queen followed with the first Pioneer home run of the season, hitting it over the left field wall to make it 3-0 with no outs.

Stenerson walked and advanced to second on an error before Worstell singled to put Stenerson at third.

Worstell later stole second before an error scored Stenerson and made it 4-0 after the first.

Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Laurel in the bottom of the second, with a sac fly scoring one to make it 4-1.

Powell returned the favor in the top of the fourth, when Johnson led off with a solo home run and pushed it back to 5-1.

“Brock and Cade hitting home runs felt good. We just needed to know we can do it again,” Borders said. 

Powell continued pushing, this time in the top of the fifth, as Gibson walked off to lead before Loera was hit by a pitch and Johnson was walked to load the bases with one out.

Schwahn hit into a fielder’s choice that scored one and got Johnson out at second.

Queen was hit by a pitch to reload the bases before Stenerson hit a single to score a pair and make it 8-1.

Queen and Stenerson advanced on steals, and Worstell brought them both in on a single to make it 10-1.

Laurel got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, before the Pioneers exploded in the top of the sixth to finish the game.

Singles by Gibson and Loera along with a walk to Greenwald loaded the bases with no outs to start.

Johnson flew out in foul territory before Schwahn hit into an error that scored a pair and made it 12-2.

A Queen single brought in Loera and Schwahn to make it 14-2 before a two-out double by Worstell scored another and made it 15-2.

Fauskee doubled to score another, Gibson hit a single and Greenwald hit a double to score a pair and make it 18-2.

Powell was unable to find any more offense but Worstell finished the game on the mound in the sixth and earned an 18-2 win.

He finished with five strikeouts on the mound in the complete game effort.

Queen led with four RBIs going 3-4 at the plate, Worstell went 3-5 with three RBIs and Greenwald was the other Pioneer in double-digits RBIs with two.

Powell finished with an 18-7 hit advantage in the contest and committed only one error compared to four for the Dodgers.

POWELL 4, LAUREL 0

In the second game the Pioneers used scoring over the final four innings to pull away with another strong effort on the mound, this time from Greenwald.

Powell loaded the bases with two outs but was unable to find a run, and continually left runners stranded until the top of the fourth.

Gibson, Greenwald and Loera walked to load the bases, before a fourth successive walk to Johnson scored a run and made it 1-0.

Schwahn grounded out to score another before Loera scored on a wild pitch and gave Powell a 3-0 lead.

Laurel was unable to find runners in scoring position, and Powell added one insurance run in the top of the sixth.

Johnson hit a one out single before stealing second, and was brought in on a Queen single to make it 4-0.

Greenwald shut down the Dodgers on the mound, giving up seven hits in the full seven inning outing, earning five strikeouts in the shutout.

After the two victories Sunday, Borders praised both Greenwald and Worstell on the mound, calling them key pieces in the title defense for the Pioneers.

“I have as much faith in them as I do anybody,” Borders said. “They don’t run up pitch counts, they can stay in games as long as possible … They’re going to be a huge part of our year. You can’t win a state championship with just two guys. It’s going to take our whole staff like last year.” 

Johnson, Schwahn and Queen each earned RBIs for the Pioneers.

RETURNING HOME

After a couple of weeks in Montana the Pioneers will return home this weekend for a pair of doubleheaders.

Powell will take on the same opposition as last weekend but in reverse order, playing Laurel at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday before taking on Gallatin Valley at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

“We just gotta keep getting better and keep improving,” Borders said. “It’ll be nice to be at home and play in front of our fans. These guys are focused and have one goal in mind.”