Defensive lapses cost the Powell Pioneers A team dearly in the first game of a doubleheader at Riverton Friday.

Powell’s American Legion Baseball team committed five miscues, and all six Riverton runs were unearned in a 6-5 loss to the Raiders in the first of two games. The loss broke a two-game Pioneer win streak before Powell came back in the nightcap to win 18-8 to come off the road with a 6-3 record.

“We just had a bit of an off game fielding the ball,” Pioneer coach Joe Cates said of the first game loss.

Powell scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to pull into a 5-5 tie. But the bobble bug bit again in the bottom of the frame. A Riverton batter reached on a base on balls, moved up on a fielder’s choice and came around with the winning run on an error.

Powell outhit the Raiders 12-3 in the first game, but couldn’t produce the timely hits.

“We did a great job of putting the ball in play; we had quality at bats,” said Cates. “We just didn’t do a great job of hitting with runners in scoring position.”

Colin Queen was 4 for 4 at the plate for the Pioneers in the opener with an RBI. Brock Johnson was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Trey Stenerson went 2 for 4.

Cade Queen pitched the first three innings. He issued three walks and struck out one while yielding five unearned runs. Landon Sessions came on and worked 3.1 innings, giving up one unearned run in the seventh. He walked four and had two strikeouts.

Patience at the plate paid off in a big way for Powell in a bounce-back second game. Pioneer batters collected 14 walks and broke away early with five runs in the first and three in the second.

In contrast to game one, “we hit the ball well with runners in scoring position,” Cates said.

Johnson was 4 for 4 at the plate with two RBIs. Ashton Brewer and Keaton Rowton each had two hits and two RBIs. Colin Queen was 1 for 3 with an RBI and three walks.

Johnson was on the mound for four innings and gave up five runs (two earned) while walking two and recording two strikeouts. Canyon Gonzales came on in the fifth and was charged with one run in one-third of an inning before he was relieved by Trey Stenerson. Stenerson and Kobe Ostermiller finished up.

Line scores:

First game

Powell 001 001 3 — R 5 - H 12 - E 5         

Riverton 040 100 1 — R 6  - H 3 - E 3

Second game

Powell 530 027 1 — R 18 - H 10 - E 3

Riverton 111 211 1 — R 8 - H 9 - E 3