In key conference games in Gillette, the Powell Pioneers took one from the previously undefeated Riders on Wednesday night, earning a 5-1 win after an initial 8-2 loss, before splitting with the Upper Deck Expos ‘AA’ with an 8-5 win and a 10-4 loss.

GILLETTE RIDERS 8, POWELL 2

Back in Wyoming for conference games the Pioneers (18-22-1 overall, 4-4 Senior North) made the trip to Gillette on Wednesday for a doubleheader against the Riders (34-26 overall, 9-1 Senior North).

The hosts struck first in the bottom of the first, as a single was followed by a steal of second, and that runner came home on another single to make it 1-0.

Powell responded in the second as Caden Diaz singled and advanced to second on a sac bunt.

Ryder Stewart’s contact led to an error, allowing Diaz to round home and tie the game 1-1.

Gillette took the lead back in the bottom half of the inning, as a walk and single got a runner into scoring position, and a single scored a run, but saved a second as the Pioneers trailed 2-1.

The Riders extended their advantage in the third, as a single, double and another single scored two.

A sac bunt and a dropped third strike allowed another runner to reach, and a ground out added another run to make it 5-1.

Another single capped off the strong inning for the Riders as it was 6-1 after three.

“Hats off to them for fighting through some at bats,” manager Jason Borders said.

The Riders loaded the bases through a single and two walks with one out, and another walk made it 7-1.

Gillette’s scoring ended in the fifth as a walk, steal of second and a single scored another to make it 8-1.

Powell got a run in the top of the seventh, as Abel Teten singled, and advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a balk before a ground out scored him to make the final score 8-2.

“That 8-2 game was closer than it showed,” Borders said. “If we had gotten some of our hits to drop with guys on, it would’ve been a different game.”

Gillette outhit Powell 11-6, but committed the only two errors in the game.

Six different Pioneers recorded hits, as Jordan Loera had the lone RBI.

POWELL 5, GILLETTE RIDERS 1

In the second matchup the Pioneers got off to a quick start, as Talon Nuss and Loera singled to start.

Dominik Bieber singled to score one as Powell led 1-0.

Neither team got on the board again until the bottom of the fourth, when Gillette got a single, and stole second before a ground out advanced the lead runner to third.

A wild pitch scored him and the game was tied 1-1.

It took until the seventh for the Pioneers to reclaim the lead, as Nuss and Loera singled to start once again.

A Ben Ostermiller bunt led to an error, allowing Nuss to score and for Loera and Ostermiller to reach second and third.

Bieber walked to load the bases, and Carter Fauskee was later hit by a pitch with two outs to score one.

Rowan Diaz walked to score another, and Bieber scored on a passed ball to make it 5-1.

Gillette mustered only one baserunner in the bottom half as Powell earned the conference split on the road.

Nuss, Loera and Bieber each had two hits.

Bieber, Fauskee and Rowan had RBIs for the Pioneers.

Caden went 6-2/3 on the mound, giving up three hits, one earned run, two walks and eight strikeouts. Loera got the final out in relief.

“They came out and played really well in that second one,” Borders said. “Probably the best game he’s (Diaz) ever thrown. They couldn’t touch him. He had everything working and was dialed in.”

POWELL 8, UPPER DECK ‘AA’ 5

Continuing to Billings on Thursday the Pioneers took on the Expos (12-10) for a third set of doubleheaders this season.

Billings got on the board first, as the Expos doubled and advanced on a wild pitch before a sac fly scored the run to make it 1-0.

In the second the Expos added another, as two singles and an error with two outs loaded the bases before a hit batter scored one to make it 2-0.

Powell responded in the third, as Teten and Loera singled with two outs.

Ostermiller singled to score Teten and advance Loera to third, before Loera stole home to tie the game 2-2.

The Pioneers got the upper hand in the fourth, when Kolby Gates reached on an error, and Rowan bunted into an error that allowed Gates to round and make it 3-2.

Billings regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning, as two singles were followed by a sac bunt, before a single scored both runners to make it 4-3.

An error by the Pioneers allowed another to score and make it 5-3 after the fourth.

In the fifth, Ostermiller walked and Bieber singled, before a Rowan single scored Ostermiller to make it 5-4.

Powell tied the game in the sixth, when Teten singled with one out, and advanced to second on an error.

Loera followed with another single to score him and make it 5-5.

The Pioneers finally regained the lead in the seventh, as Fauskee hit a leadoff single, and advanced on a sac bunt by Rowan.

Fauskee advanced further on a wild pitch before August Teten hit into an error and scored Fauskee to make it 6-5.

Dakota Erickson walked, and Stewart was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.

August scored on a wild pitch, before Loera’s single scored another and made it an 8-5 contest.

No baserunners reached for the Expos in the bottom of the seventh as the Pioneers claimed the 8-5 win.

“In that first one, they had that fire in them,” Borders said. 

Abel and Loera had three hits each, and Bieber added two as the other Pioneer with multiple hits.

Loera added two RBIs to lead the Pioneers, Gates went four innings, giving up three earned, two walks and two strikeouts as August came in for three innings and gave up only one hit and had one strikeout.

UPPER DECK ‘AA’ 10, POWELL 4

In the second contest the Expos scored first, as two batters were walked before both advanced further on steals.

An error allowed both runners to score and make it 2-0.

A single was followed by an error that scored another as Powell trailed 3-0 after the first.

In the second, Rowan singled, and Fauskee walked before August singled to score one and make it 3-1.

Billings added another on the bottom of the third, as a walk and single got a runner into scoring position, before a ground out scored one and made it 4-1.

In the fourth, Fauskee singled and August walked before Abel singled and scored Fauskee to make it 4-2.

Billings responded in the bottom half, as a walk and two singles loaded the bases with no outs.

A sac fly scored one, and a walk reloaded the bases.

A single scored a pair, and a steal of second allowed for the lead runner to steal home and make it 8-2.

Billings got one final run on a wild pitch to make it 9-2.

The final run for the Expos came in the sixth, as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases, before another walk made it 10-2.

Powell got runs back in the seventh, as Loera and Ostermiller singled.

Bieber singled, but Loera was out advancing to home.

Rowan walked with two outs to load the bases, and Fauskee walked to score one and make it 10-3.

August hit into an error to score another, but Powell could not find any more runs in a 10-4 loss.

“I didn’t feel like we came out with that same intensity and energy in that second game,” Borders said.

Ostermiller, Rowan and August each had two hits, as Abel, August and Fauskee each had an RBI.

Following the weekend off the Pioneers returned home on Monday afternoon, taking on the Casper Drillers (17-17-1 overall, 3-9 Senior North) in a pair of conference games.

Entering into the final two weeks of the regular season, Borders preached consistency for his team with six important conference games ahead.

“We have to come out with two wins in some way. We gotta figure out ways to win conference games right now if we want to be in that top state tournament,” Borders said. “It’s one game at a time. If we can just break it down like that and concentrate on the moment, we should be fine. These games are big now for us … We gotta make a run, and we’ll see.”