Pioneers’ season ends at state

Early exit with losses to Cheyenne, Torrington

Posted 8/1/19

The Powell Pioneers saw their hopes of a run at a state title come up short at the Wyoming Legion Class A State Tournament in Douglas Tuesday and Wednesday, finishing 0-2 in the double-elimination …

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Pioneers’ season ends at state

Early exit with losses to Cheyenne, Torrington

Posted

The Powell Pioneers saw their hopes of a run at a state title come up short at the Wyoming Legion Class A State Tournament in Douglas Tuesday and Wednesday, finishing 0-2 in the double-elimination tournament.

The Pioneers got off to a rocky start Tuesday, dropping the opener against the Cheyenne Hawks 15-2. The team played much better Wednesday, giving Torrington all they could handle before falling 8-6.

The loss closed the books on the Pioneers’ season, a season manager Joe Cates said was frustrating at times, but was not without its bright spots. Kobe Ostermiller and Colin Queen were named to the All-Conference first team, while Cameron Schmidt was named to the second team.

“It was definitely not the year we were hoping for, definitely not the year we were expecting,” Cates told KPOW’s Scott Mangold following Wednesday’s loss. “But we had our moments where we were lights out and were a pretty good ball club. I just wish those moments would have been a little more often, not so few and far between.”

 

Cheyenne 15, Pioneers 2

Powell jumped out early over Cheyenne, plating a run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. After Kobe Ostermiller reached on an error to lead off the game, Colin Queen singled to right field, advancing Ostermiller to third. A throwing error by the right fielder allowed Ostermiller to sprint toward the plate, scoring the first run of the game.

“Our first couple of innings were good, and then we just kind of gave it away,” said Cates of Tuesday’s opener against the Hawks. “Our inability to throw strikes wasn’t so bad this game, but we need to be more aware of what we’re doing out there.”

With Queen on second and no outs in the first, Jesse Brown roped a double to center field. Queen tried to score on the play but was gunned down at the plate. With one out and Brown in scoring position, Cheyenne’s Ty Lobmeyer recorded back-to-back strikeouts on Cameron Schmidt and Canyon Gonzales to end the inning.

Cameron Wentz got the start on the hill for the Pioneers and struggled early, giving up two runs in the bottom of the first and four runs in the bottom of the second before being pulled in favor of Zane Cordes.

Things looked promising in the top of the second, as the Pioneers capitalized on three errors to load the bases. But with two outs, Queen lined out to left to end the threat.

Down 6-1 heading into the top of the third, the Pioneers scored another run to cut the lead to 6-2. Lobmeyer had control problems to start the inning, plunking Brown and Schmidt to put two runners on. Brown advanced to third on a wild pitch, and with runners at the corners, Cates called for the double steal. Schmidt was thrown out, but Brown slid into home safely, scoring the Pioneers’ final run of the game.

The Curse of the Big Inning materialized again in the bottom of the fourth, as the Tigers plated nine runs to put the game out of reach; with the score 15-2, the game was called due to the 10-run rule.

Wentz was saddled with the loss, giving up six runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. Cordes and Landon Sessions pitched in relief, combining for nine runs on seven hits (two earned).

The Pioneers finished with six hits in the contest, led by doubles from Brown and Queen; both finished with a pair of hits. Gonzales and Ashton Brewer each had a hit.

The Pioneers were 2-for-11 at the plate with runners in scoring position, including six strikeouts.

“That’s definitely not something you want to do, and then to compound it, they give us an error here and an error there and we give it right back,” Cates said. “Our baserunning this game was atrocious.”

 

Torrington 8, Pioneers 6

Tuesday’s loss against Cheyenne dropped the Pioneers into the loser’s bracket, where they squared off against Torrington. The Tigers lost a 1-0 thriller to Riverton to open the tournament, and both teams were anxious to extend their seasons.

Wednesday’s contest started much like the Cheyenne game, with the Pioneers jumping out to an early 1-0 lead. Ostermiller walked to lead off the game and eventually came around to score.

But the Tigers answered with a run in the bottom of the third and four more in the bottom of the fourth.

Trailing 5-1 heading into the top of the fifth, the Pioneers showed some signs of life, taking advantage of several Torrington miscues to cut the lead to 5-4. Ostermiller scored on a wild pitch and Queen and Brown scored on a dropped third strike to close within a run. With two outs and the bases empty, Ashton Brewer, Ryley Meyer and Noah Blough singled back-to-back-to-back to load the bases, but the inning ended on a Garrett Stutzman pop out.

The Tigers extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth, plating three runs to make it 7-4. Torrington plated one more run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-4.

Down to their last at-bats and with the season on the line, the Pioneers once again battled back, cutting the lead to 8-6. In what would be his final at-bat in Legion ball, Schmidt just missed a home run, bouncing a stand-up double off the top of the wall in center. Two straight walks loaded the bases, and Noah Blough drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to make it 8-5.

With the bases loaded, Landon Sessions came in to pinch hit for Cameron Wentz, reaching on an error. The Pioneers scored on the play to cut the lead to 8-6, but could get no closer, as the Tigers held on for the win.

Queen took the loss on the hill for the Pioneers, while Meyer came in for an inning in relief.

“Colin [Queen] struggled a bit, but even his walks were competitive walks,” Cates told KPOW after the game. “He was throwing strikes. He kept hitters off balance and wasn’t going to give in. Errors cost us a few runs. That was the difference ­­— that and the 10 runners left on.”

Powell Pioneers

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