Welcoming in a difficult ‘AA’ opponent resulted in a pair of home losses for the Powell Pioneers, who battled but fell short in a Saturday doubleheader 5-1 and 7-5 to the visiting Sheridan Troopers.

SHERIDAN 5, POWELL 1

The Pioneers (7-7) took on the Troopers (13-8) for the second doubleheader of the season between the teams.

Powell took the lead in the bottom of the first, after Jordan Loera’s leadoff home run found its way over the right center field wall and made it 1-0.

Sheridan answered in the top of the second, after a leadoff walk and single put two on before another single scored one to tie it 1-1.

Powell got out of the inning without further damage, and the two teams started a scoreless run until late in the contest.

Both teams had their chances, starting with the Pioneers in the bottom of the fourth when a leadoff single by Caden Diaz was followed by a Cole Fauskee double to get runners in scoring position.

A pop out did not allow the runners to advance, before a fielder’s choice led to Diaz being thrown out at home in a rundown.

Another rundown followed after the pitcher stepped off with Trevion Solberg trying to steal second, leading to Fauskee out at home.

“Same story, just a different day,” manager Jason Borders said. “Until we figure it out, we’re going to keep losing these games. We have to score those runners.”

In the top of the fifth the Troopers found their offense, starting with a leadoff single.

That was followed by an error at second base trying to throw out a runner stealing, allowing the lead runner to reach third.

A walk put a second runner on, and he stole second to get two in scoring position.

Both runners scored on a single, and the batter advanced all the way to third on an errant throw.

That runner scored on a line out to left field and made it 4-1.

Powell finished the inning without more damage, but Sheridan had one more run to extend its lead in the sixth.

A one out walk and a single put two on, before a double scored one and made it 5-1.

The Pioneers again got out without more damage, and had a chance to score in the bottom half of the inning.

A single and double put two runners in scoring position, but a fly out followed and Talon Nuss was tagged out at the plate on the throw home as Powell couldn’t find an answer late in the 5-1 loss.

Loera led going 2-3 at the plate with the lone RBI, and Powell committed three errors while Sheridan committed none.

Caden Diaz gave up three earned with six strikeouts and three walks in 4-1/3 innings.

SHERIDAN 7, POWELL 5

In the second game it was the Troopers who got off to the fast start, starting with a one out error followed by a walk to get two on.

An error on a throw to third trying to catch a runner stealing allowed one run to score, and the Troopers added one more baserunner with a single.

Following a fielder’s choice, the Troopers loaded the bases with a walk, and scored one more run with a single before a pop out ended the inning with the Troopers leading 2-0.

Two singles led off the second for Sheridan, and a sac bunt advanced them into scoring position.

A wild pitch later scored a run and Sheridan led 3-0.

In the third the Troopers added one more, after a single put a runner on.

He advanced on an error, before a single brought him around and made it 4-0.

Sheridan finished its scoring in the top of the fifth, starting with two straight errors after the Pioneers got two outs.

A single scored a pair, before a triple scored one more and the Troopers led 7-0 after the sixth.

“Those errors just come at terrible times,” Borders said.

Powell got its first run in the bottom of the fifth, starting with a double by Solberg followed by a Kolby Gates walk.

Solberg advanced on a passed ball before Christian Love singled to bring in Solberg and make it 7-1.

Powell added more runs in the bottom of the sixth, starting with a leadoff error on Ryan Barrus’ contact, followed by a four ball walk to Abel Teten.

Barrus was picked off while Teten stole second, but an error on Fauskee’s ground ball gave Powell runners on the corners.

Fauskee was out at second on a ground ball fielder’s choice, before Gates walked and loaded the bases with two outs.

Dominik Bieber singled and scored two, and Powell kept chipping away down 7-3 heading into the seventh.

Down to their last out, Barrus walked and Teten hit a double to get runners in scoring position.

Those two scored on a Fauskee double, but the Pioneers were unable to get closer as they fell 7-5.

Six different Pioneers recorded a hit, while Fauskee and Bieber led with two RBIs.

Ben Ostermiller gave up seven hits but only one earned run of the seven scored in 4-2/3 innings, adding five strikeouts with two walks.

Powell committed more errors 7-2.

“Our pitchers threw good again, but you add seven errors with those nine hits, it just adds up,” Borders said. “Those errors right now are just bad timing, I don’t know any other way to say it.”

GILLETTE TOURNAMENT

The Pioneers now head on the road this weekend, taking part in one of the more difficult tournaments of the season.

That tournament is the Kirby Drube Memorial starting Saturday, where the Pioneers will take on a majority ‘AA’ teams while shorthanded due to graduation.

“We are going to Gillette this weekend with six seniors and two other guys staying home for graduation,” Borders said. “It just seems like we haven’t played together enough to cut back these errors and in game decisions, we don’t get any consistency … I think once we start playing consistently, and it might be in mid-late June, then we will find consistency.”

The first matchup for Powell will be against an ‘A’ West team, taking on the Evanston Outlaws (8-4) at 5 p.m. before taking on ‘AA’ teams the remainder of the weekend, starting with the host Gillette Riders (13-11) at 7:30 p.m.

Powell then turns around to take on the Laramie Rangers (9-10) at noon on Sunday and then the Jackson Giants (1-4) at 2:30 p.m.

Wrapping up the tournament on Monday the Pioneers take on the Sheridan Troopers at noon.