{gallery}06_11_09/pioneers{/gallery} Powell's Andrew Young stares home after delivering a pitch Tuesday night in Cowley. The Pioneers' starting hurler tossed eight innings of three-hit baseball and connected for a home run as one of his four hits at the plate in a 10-4 win over Lovell. Tribune photo by Randal Horobik Pioneers run streak to four with Tuesday winThe Powell American Legion Post 26 baseball team ran its winning streak to four consecutive games with a 10-4 victory over Lovell in a nine-inning contest played in Cowley on Tuesday night. On a night where the Pioneers were without three players for various reasons, head coach Jeff Young watched as several of his kids answered the challenge in a conference game.

“I saw a lot of things that you maybe wouldn't see if we had our regular lineup there,” said Young. “We got to see how the kids reacted to being put in situations that maybe, in another game, they wouldn't be confronted by.”

After playing to a 2-2 deadlock after three innings, the Pioneers broke out for a big inning. Powell batted around in the top half of the fourth, plating five runs in the process to get out to a modest lead. From there, the pitching of Powell starter Andrew Young took over.

Young tossed eight solid innings for the Pioneers, allowing four runs and three hits while striking out 11. Young's performance was of particular importance given the depleted state of Powell's bench and the fact the team will play eight games in a five-day stretch beginning today (Thursday).

“I wanted to get six innings out of him, but he kept telling me he was OK and he was throwing the ball well,” said Jeff Young.

Andrew Young also had a solid night at the plate, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI. Included in Young's total was a home run, his first of the season. Colter Bostick and Gianluca Giarrizzo added three hits each as Powell clubbed Lovell pitching to the tune of 16 hits on Tuesday night.

“We had a couple kids who had been in slumps early this year who came around well in the game,” said Young.

The victory improved Powell's season record to 9-5 overall. The Pioneers have won four in a row and remain unbeaten in conference play.

Powell plays a doubleheader in Billings against the Bluejays tonight (Thursday). Game one begins at 5 p.m. The Pioneers are 1-2 this season against the Jays.

Powell also plays in a tournament in Billings starting on Saturday and continuing until Tuesday. Powell is tentatively scheduled to begin tournament play at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, but the time may be adjusted.

“We play the Cardinals that day and they're scheduled for two games that day,” said Young. “They might flip when they play their two opponents and that would put us playing in the afternoon instead.”