Proving they belong among the best, the Powell Pioneers battled back from a 7-4 day one loss to the Casper Oilers at the Division I State Baseball Tournament on Friday, earning a 10-2 win over the Cheyenne Hawks and a 7-1 win over the Laramie Rangers to reach day four on Monday.

CASPER 7, POWELL 4

Starting the tournament the Pioneers (26-25-1), the No. 3 seed out of the Senior North, took on the Oilers (33-25), the No. 2 seed from the Senior South.

Powell got out of a first inning jam and found a way onto the scoreboard in the top of the third.

Talon Nuss hit a one out single, before Ben Ostermiller walked to join him.

Dominik Bieber’s single scored Nuss, but Ostermiller was thrown out advancing to third to end the inning with Powell up 1-0.

The Pioneers added to the lead in the fourth, as Caden Diaz was hit by a pitch, and Rowan Diaz joined him on an error by the third baseman to put runners on the corners.

Abel Teten singled to score one as the Pioneers led 2-0 after the top of the fourth.

Casper got one back after a single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs.

A line drive single scored one, but a relay home from Rowan to Bieber all the way to August Teten at home got a runner out and saved another run — ending the fourth inning with Powell leading 2-1.

Casper found a way to take the lead in the fifth, as two singles and an error with two outs loaded the bases.

A balk scored one, and a fielder’s choice that didn’t result in a force out at third scored another and the Oilers led 3-2.

The Pioneers answered in the top of the sixth, as Caden was hit by a pitch to lead off, but was out advancing to second on a fielder’s choice, which put Ryder Stewart on base at second after an error trying to turn a double play.

Rowan singled to put runners on the corners, and a sac bunt by August scored Stewart and tied the game 3-3.

Casper continued its scoring run in the bottom half, as a walk and error by the Pioneers put two on.

A double scored one, before a triple scored two more and made it 6-3.

One more single scored another as Casper led 7-3 heading into the seventh.

Nuss walked to lead off, but was out at second after a Loera  fielder’s choice.

Loera stole second and Ostermiller joined him with a single.

Caden singled and scored one, but the Pioneers were unable to find more offense in a 7-4 loss.

“I thought we played pretty good baseball in that game … It’s a big stage for these guys … We played pretty good for a few innings. Then we got to the fifth and the sixth, it happens, it’s baseball,” manager Jason Borders said.

Bieber led with two hits as both teams recorded seven. The Oilers committed more errors 3-2.

Four Pioneers recorded an RBI.

On the mound, Caden went 2-2/3 innings, walking and striking out three. Ostermiller went one inning giving up one hit, one earned run, two walks and three strikeouts.

Loera went 1-2/3 and gave up six hits and three earned runs, walking two and striking out two.

Nuss went two-thirds recording no significant stats.

POWELL 10, CHEYENNE HAWKS 2

In an elimination game on Saturday the Pioneers took on the No. 4 seed out of the Senior South in the Hawks (36-18).

Cheyenne started strong, getting two on with a double and a hit batter with two outs.

A single scored one, before another single loaded the bases.

A walk scored one, as Cheyenne led 2-0 after the top of the first.

Powell answered with one in the bottom of the first, as Loera tripled, and scored on Bieber’s double to cut the lead to 2-1.

Each team found limited baserunners until the Pioneers took control in the bottom of the fourth.

Caden walked to lead off, and Stewart and August singled to load the bases with no outs.

Carter Fauskee was hit by a pitch to score one, and a suicide squeeze by Abel scored another to give Powell a 3-2 advantage.

“That’s the type of team we are right now. We have to manufacture runs,” Borders said. “We’ve got to work counts to get on base with walks and do whatever we can to give ourselves a chance to score runs, put ourselves in position. These guys just keep figuring out ways to get on base, and I try to figure out ways to get them around, hats off to them.”

Nuss singled to score another, and a wild pitch on the next at bat scored Fauskee.

Nuss rounded to third, and his aggressive baserunning led to an error trying to get him out at third base, which allowed him to round home and make it 6-2.

Loera was hit by a pitch and Ostermiller walked, before a Bieber double scored both and gave Powell an 8-2 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Stewart walked to lead off, and Fauskee joined him after an error.

A ground out put them in scoring position, and Rowan came in to pinch run for Fauskee.

Nuss singled, scoring both and giving Powell the 10-2 win via the run rule in the fifth.

Powell outhit Cheyenne 7-5 as the Hawks committed the only two errors in the game.

Nuss and Bieber each had two hits and three RBIs, while Ostermiller went all five innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs, while walking two and striking out six.

POWELL 7, LARAMIE 1

In another elimination game on Sunday the Pioneers took on the No. 3 seed out of the Senior South in the Rangers (35-32-1).

Powell got into early jams but escaped unscathed, before striking first in the bottom of the third.

Abel singled to lead off, and advanced on a sac bunt by Nuss.

Loera singled to put runners on the corners, before a fielder’s choice that saw Teten swim around a tag at the plate and score to make it 1-0.

Loera scored later on a wild pitch, as Powell led 2-0 after the third.

Laramie got one back in the fourth, loading the bases with one out after a double and two walks, and another walk scored one.

Powell induced a strikeout and ground out to keep the Pioneers ahead 2-1.

Powell added insurance in the fourth, as Rowan reached on an error and got to second, before Fauskee hit a double to score him, reaching third on the throw.

Abel’s sac bunt scored him and made it a 4-1 game.

Laramie led off the fifth with a triple, but couldn’t score the runner, before Powell added to the lead again in the fifth.

Loera led off with a single, before Ostermiller walked to join him.

Bieber doubled to score one, and Caden walked to load the bases with no outs.

Stewart singled and scored two, but Powell couldn’t add more to the lead.

Powell allowed baserunners in the sixth and seventh innings, but didn’t allow any across the plate as the Pioneers earned the 7-1 win.

Laramie outhit Powell 8-6, as the Rangers committed the lone error.

Loera led with two hits, while Stewart led with two RBIs.

Caden went 5-2/3 giving up seven hits, one earned run, 11 strikeouts and five walks.

“He had a couple rough innings, but 11 strikeouts against a good hitting Laramie team is phenomenal,” Borders said. “Pitching his last game (of his career), he was as good as I’ve seen him in his career.”

Loera went 1-1/3 in relief, giving up one hit and one walk.

Powell continued on in the tournament on Monday night as one of the final four teams remaining, taking on the No. 1 seed out of the Senior South, the Cheyenne Sixers (52-15-2) at 7 p.m.

That result was determined after the press deadline.

PROVING THEY BELONG

The Pioneers are the smallest team by population still around at the state tournament, with Borders happy to know his team belongs but doesn’t want the size of Powell to be the defining factor of the Pioneer program.

“We’ve been pretty good in ‘A,’ but to come out here and show that we can compete with these guys … I hope everyone feeds off this from Little League all the way up and I hope it builds baseball up in Powell to where they believe they can compete with these towns that are bigger than us,” Borders said.

He said that he continually sees the fact that Powell is the smallest team in the Division I Tournament online, but wants everyone to realize they can play with these bigger towns.

“It’s 9v9, you go out and you play and you just see what the scoreboard shows. I want those 11-12-year-olds and All-Stars to understand that when they go to their tournament, they can go play with these guys,” Borders said. “We can build baseball in Powell.”