Pioneers can’t find answer to Cody

Defending champs sweep day/night doubleheader

Posted 6/27/19

The defending state Legion A champion Cody Cubs came to Powell Tuesday afternoon and proved they’re still the team to beat. The Cubs routed the Pioneers in a day/night doubleheader at Ed Lynn …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Pioneers can’t find answer to Cody

Defending champs sweep day/night doubleheader

Posted

The defending state Legion A champion Cody Cubs came to Powell Tuesday afternoon and proved they’re still the team to beat. The Cubs routed the Pioneers in a day/night doubleheader at Ed Lynn Memorial Field.

Powell played well to start the first game, and trailed the Cubs just 4-2 heading into the top of the fourth. But the Curse of the Big Inning again reared its ugly head, as the defending champs plated 16 runs in the inning en route to a 24-4 win.

The Cubs wasted no time in the nightcap, scoring six runs in the first inning and four in the third to cruise to a 14-2 win.

“That was a rough night,” said Powell manager Joe Cates. “I told the kids after the games that errors are going to happen, I’m not mad at the errors. What I was upset with was the fact that it seemed like the effort wasn’t very good again. You got guys diving out of the way of balls instead of diving through the ball.”

A doubleheader scheduled for Thursday against the Billings Angels has been canceled, and the Pioneers will instead travel to the Cody Lions Club Wood Bat Tournament Thursday through Sunday. Cates said the team will work this week on effort, especially in the field.

“I’m going to put the guys in their positions and hit a ton of ground balls at them,” he said. “I want 100 percent effort, I want them diving in the hole. I want them really going after these balls, instead of having balls go by them looking.”

 

Cody 24, Pioneers 4

Cates went to left-hander Colin Queen on the bump for the opener, hoping to carry the momentum of Queen’s last start, a win against Green River, into Tuesday. Queen was solid for the first three innings before things went off the rails in the fourth, as the Cubs smacked 10 hits and scored 16 runs in that frame to put the game out of reach.

“The guys came out ready to play,” Cates said. “Colin [Queen] was throwing well, but that fourth inning was huge for Cody.”

The Cubs held a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third, when Powell battled back with a pair of runs. A single by Jesse Brown and a double by Cameron Schmidt put runners in scoring position for Ryley Meyer, who singled in Brown for the first run of the game. Landon Sessions then hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring Schmidt and cutting Cody’s lead to 4-2.

The Pioneers plated two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two on and two out, Schmidt singled to left, scoring Ashton Brewer and Kobe Ostermiller for Powell’s final two runs of the contest.

Queen took the loss for the Pioneers, giving up 11 runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Cameron Wentz was brought in to close out the top of the fourth, giving up nine runs on five hits; Wentz didn’t have long to warm up before being put in the game “and he just wasn’t ready,” Cates said.

In his first appearance on the mound this season, Ostermiller pitched an inning in relief, giving up four runs on one hit. Cates said he was pleased with how Ostermiller performed on short notice.

“He [Ostermiller] was very shocked when I brought him in, but he did well,” he said. “He threw strikes and did everything we asked him to.”

The Pioneers had seven hits in the contest, led by Schmidt’s 2-for-3, two RBI performance. Ostermiller, Brown, Meyer and Brewer had a hit apiece, with Meyer and Sessions each driving in a run.

“We were hitting the ball well, but we kept leaving guys on in scoring position, especially early,” Cates said. “We’ve been really struggling at that lately — having trouble just getting guys in. But the at-bats were decent.”

Cody racked up 16 hits in the contest.

 

Cody 14, Pioneers 2

The Cubs picked up where they left off to start the second game, plating six runs in the top of the first en route to a 14-2 win.

Meyer got the start for the Pioneers, giving up two hits, four walks and hitting back-to-back batters before Cates gave him the early hook. Sessions got the final out of the inning, with the Cubs leading 6-0.

“[Meyer] was around the zone, but couldn’t quite find it with any consistency,” Cates said.

Cody pushed its lead to 7-0 with a run in the top of the second, though the Pioneers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. A walk by Meyer and singles by Wentz and Sessions loaded the bases, and Ostermiller singled in Meyer for Powell’s first run of the game.

The Pioneers plated one more run in the botom of the fifth. Ostermiller tripled to lead off the inning, and scored on a double by Queen. But just when it seemed Powell might have something going — with no outs and a runner in scoring position — three straight outs ended the Pioneers’ momentum.

Meyer was credited with the loss, giving up six runs (three earned) on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Sessions pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief, giving up five runs on four hits, while Brewer pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on one hit. Zane Cordes pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up no hits and no runs.

“It was good to see Sessions and Brewer get some work in on the mound,” Cares said. “Then we brought in Zane Cordes with his knuckleball, and he threw strikes. He got us pop flies and ground balls, and that’s all you can ask for.”

The Pioneers once again had seven hits in the contest, led by two hits apiece from Ostermiller, Queen and Sessions; Ostermiller and Queen each drove in a run. Wentz rounded out the hitting with a single.

“Their plate appearances were OK. It could have been better,” Cates said of his team. “I thought Kobe [Ostermiller] stroked the ball well [with] Ashton [Brewer] coming back, swinging the bat well. Landon Sessions was swinging the bat really well. The guys were putting the ball in play, but we still have to do a little bit better job.”

Powell Pioneers

Comments