{gallery}06_08_10/pioneers{/gallery}Pioneer shortstop Tyler England prepares to fire the ball across the infield to retire a Lovell batter during conference baseball action last Wednesday. Powell improved to 2-0 in conference play with a victory in the contest. Tribune photo by Randal Horobik Team improves to 2-0 in conferenceWhile it lacked the big-inning bang of the previous night, the Powell Pioneers American Legion baseball team wrapped up a home-and-away sweep of Lovell last Wednesday with a 10-0 shutout at home. The win lifts Powell's record to 9-3-1 this season. The Pioneers are also 2-0 in conference play.

The Pioneers scored in every inning on Wednesday. Scotty Jameson got things started early with a two-run home run, part of a 4-for-5 night at the plate that also included a double. Jameson drove home four RBIs for Powell in the contest.

Also going 4-for-5 at the dish was Powell's Olie Olson. Two of Olson's hits were doubles. Tyler England added two RBIs and Colter Bostick went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI.

As a team, the Pioneers connected for 14 hits in the contest. The team scored two runs in each of the first three innings, then added a single tally in the each of the game's final four innings to produce their second run-rule victory in as many nights against Lovell.

The Pioneers' offensive numbers are even more impressive considering the team played the game without lead-off hitter Dallas Robirds and his .500 average in the batting order. Robirds sat out the contest as a precautionary measure after suffering some lingering effects from being hit in the head by a pitch the previous night.

“We'll rest him two or three days,” said Pioneers coach Mike Jameson. “I expect he'll be back in the lineup this weekend.”

Scotty Jameson was the beneficiary of the night's offense as he improved to 2-0 on the mound for the summer. Jameson allowed just three hits and two walks in the contest while striking out 12 Lovell batters.

“That's one of the things we've been impressed by early in the season,” said Mike Jameson. “The depth of our pitching staff this summer has really struck us. We've got seven or eight guys that are capable of coming in and providing us with quality time, and that's going to be huge come tournament time.”

The month of June was a springboard to the Pioneers' season last year. The team entered June with a 5-5 record, but won 20 of its 24 June games to emerge 16 games over .500 as the calendar flipped to July.

“The important thing for us is to just continue to improve,” said Mike Jameson. “If we can continue to make routine plays, if our pitchers continue to throw strikes and give the defense a chance to make plays, then we'll be tough.”

The Pioneers got another taste of tournament action over the weekend at the Riverton tournament. Powell was scheduled to face Riverton, Green River and Torrington in that event. Complete results from those games, as well as last night's (Monday's) scheduled conference game against Lovell, will appear in Thursday's issue of the Powell Tribune.

Pioneers perfect in Riverton

The Powell Pioneers grabbed first place in a four-team tournament in Riverton over the weekend. The team opened with a 10-0 shutout of Torrington and then blasted Green River 21-9. A 14-7 conquest of Riverton put the Pioneers in a rematch with Green River for the championship, and the Powell crew completed the sweep with a 14-10 win.

Details of the tournament will appear in Thursday's edition.