Pioneers split Sheridan road trip

Head to Billings for BWW Tournament

Posted 6/8/23

A late blown lead caused the Powell Pioneers to split a road trip in Sheridan on Sunday, losing 6-4 before routing the Jets in the second contest 13-3.

    

SHERIDAN 6, …

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Pioneers split Sheridan road trip

Head to Billings for BWW Tournament

Posted

A late blown lead caused the Powell Pioneers to split a road trip in Sheridan on Sunday, losing 6-4 before routing the Jets in the second contest 13-3.

    

SHERIDAN 6, POWELL 4

After a canceled set of games in Billings on Saturday due to rain, the Pioneers (13-12) made their way to Sheridan to take on the ‘A’ East opponent Jets (8-7).

Despite being the road team, the Pioneers acted as the home team on the scoreboard — getting on the board in the bottom of the first.

Cade Queen was hit by a pitch to get on with two outs, and Trey Stenerson hit a triple to drive him in and make it 1-0.

Neither team found another run until the bottom of the third, when Jhett Schwahn doubled and Queen singled to bring Schwahn in and make it 2-0.

Sheridan got on the board in the top of the sixth inning, when two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out.

A single brought in a runner, but two straight strikeouts got Queen out of the jam, and Powell held a 2-1 lead.

Dalton Worstell was walked to lead off the bottom half, and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Ethan Welch.

Ryan Cordes singled to bring in Worstell and extend the lead back out to 3-1.

Despite maintaining the lead and Queen performing strong on the mound, the game fell apart in the top of the seventh inning.

“It felt like we were in charge the whole way,” manager Jason Borders said. “We were putting the ball in play and it seemed like a matter of time before it broke but it didn’t.”

After a single to lead off, Worstell replaced Queen on the mound.

He got an out, before two straight singles brought in a runner to make it 3-2.

A walk loaded the bases, and an error brought in two of those runners to give Sheridan a 4-3 lead.

Another walk loaded the bases.

Errors allowed two runners to score before the Pioneers finished the top half — now trailing 6-3.

Two outs put Powell in a hole, but a solo home run by Stenerson gave the Pioneers life down 6-4.

Aidan Wantulok and Worstell singles put runners on, but a ground out ended the game with the Pioneers losing 6-4.

Queen finished by giving up two earned on the mound, with one walk to 12 strikeouts.

“He [Queen] threw well enough and deserved to win that game,” Borders said. “We had a breakdown there at the end.”

Stenerson finished with two RBIs while Queen and Cordes each had one.

Powell finished with four errors compared to none for the Jets.

   

POWELL 13, SHERIDAN 3

The short break allowed the Pioneers to rest and regroup, and they came out with a strong flurry to start the second game.

“They didn’t lay around and pout about it, they just came out and put it to them,” Borders said.

Schwahn walked to get on, before Queen doubled to bring him in and make it 1-0 in the bottom of the first.

Stenerson doubled and brought in Queen before Wantulok and Worstell were both hit by pitches to load the bases with one out.

Kolt Flores grounded into a fielder’s choice that saw Worstell out at second. Stenerson scored on the same play leaving the Pioneers with runners at the corners and two out.

An error on Cole Fauskee’s hit led to an error that brought in Wantulok and kept runners on the corners.

Cordes hit a double and brought in a pair to make it 6-0.

Johnson and Schwahn singled, each bringing in a runner to make it 8-0 after the first inning.

In the second, Wantulok walked, Worstell hit a single and Flores singled to load the bases with one out.

Fauskee singled and brought in a runner, but a double play ended the inning with Powell leading 9-0.

Sheridan got one back in the top of the third after loading the bases followed by a sac fly, but the Pioneers were able to prevent any further bleeding with the score at 9-1.

Powell extended its lead back out in the bottom half of the third, after Johnson was hit by a pitch and Schwahn hit a single before Queen’s single brought in the pair and made it 11-1.

Stenerson hit a double before Worstell eventually hit into a fielder’s choice to bring in Queen and extend it to 12-1 after three innings.

In the bottom of the fourth Johnson singled with one out and Schwahn walked to put two on before Queen singled and brought in Johnson to make it 13-1.

Powell was unable to do more damage with two on and one out but appeared to put the game away.

Sheridan brought in two in the top of the fifth before the mercy rule was called and the Pioneers earned a split.

Aiden Greenwald finished by giving up two hits, three earned with two strikeouts before Welch pitched in relief for the final two outs.

“Greenwald threw really well,” Borders said. “That’s how both games should have went.”

   

BWW TOURNAMENT

Powell now heads north of the border to take part in the BWW Tournament in Billings, beginning on Thursday with a doubleheader.

That starts with a game against the Gillette ‘A’ Rustlers (8-16) at 12:30 p.m. before taking on Pocatello, Idaho, at 3 p.m. — both games will be at Pirtz Field.

There will be one game on Friday at 10 a.m. against Helena, Montana, also at Pirtz Field.

“Both Pocatello and Helena have really good programs,” Borders said. “I don’t know what to think of Gillette, sometimes they are really good and sometimes they are not.”

Games on Saturday and Sunday will be dependent on results.

Powell will return to open up its conference play at home next Wednesday night against Cody at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

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