Post 26 (plus six)

Posted 7/1/10

“It was pretty crazy,” said Pioneers' head coach Mike Jameson. “I've never been around a game with that many runs and hits. I'm sure it made it fun to watch.”

Despite lasting for just seven innings, Tuesday's game took …

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Post 26 (plus six)

Posted

{gallery}07_01_10/pioneers{/gallery}It was a rough night for pitchers like Powell's Grant Geiser, (above), on Tuesday, but a great night to be swinging the bat. As evidenced below, Powell and Cody combined to send the scoreboard soaring during Legion baseball action. Tribune photos by Randal HorobikPioneers send scoreboard soaring with 32 runs The Powell Pioneers remained unbeaten in Northwest Conference play on Tuesday night with a wild 32-14 victory at Cody that left scoreboard operators and play-by-play announcers working overtime. Contrary to final appearances, that was, indeed, the final score for a baseball game.

“It was pretty crazy,” said Pioneers' head coach Mike Jameson. “I've never been around a game with that many runs and hits. I'm sure it made it fun to watch.”

Despite lasting for just seven innings, Tuesday's game took more than three hours to complete. The two teams combined to run through nine pitchers — seven by Cody — and combined for the unheard-of total of 46 runs. Pioneer batters produced 24 hits, including five home runs, in the contest.

The fireworks came early and often. Powell's first three batters reached base successfully to load the bases for Grant Geiser. Geiser lofted a fly ball into left field that was misplayed for an error and the track meet was officially on.

Olie Olson followed with a fielder's choice ball that resulted in another run. Colter Bostick lofted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-0 and set the stage for Dallas Robirds' first career home run, which doubled the score to 6-0.

Powell barely blinked after Cody scored a pair in the bottom of the first. After seeing its first two batters retired in the second, the Pioneers again worked the bases loaded to set the table for Colt Nix. Nix split the right-center gap for a three-run triple before trotting home the final 90 feet after the Cubs' throw to try and tag him out at third hopped out of play.

Powell added three more in the third inning on a two-run double from Olson and an RBI single from Bostick. Cody countered with two more runs in both the second and third innings, making the score 14-6.

The Cubs threatened to make life interesting in the fourth. Cody retired Powell on just four pitches in the top half of the inning, then tagged Geiser for five more runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within three on the scoreboard.

As it turns out, the Pioneers' offense was simply catching its second wind. Geiser, Bostick and Robirds all connected for solo home runs in the fifth inning. Cody matched the three-spot in the bottom half of the fifth, finally chasing Geiser from the mound.

After surrendering a hit to the first batter he faced, relief pitcher Jake Beuster sat down the next nine batters he faced to finally slow Cody's offense. Powell's bats continued to roar along.

Powell sent 11 men to the plate in the sixth inning, plating seven runs. The Pioneers opened the seventh inning with four consecutive base hits before Scotty Jameson delivered the coup-de-grace with a two-run blast over the outfield fence to give the game its final score.

All 10 Pioneer batters in the contest scored at least one run on Tuesday night. Robirds finished a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with five RBIs. Bostick and Nix also drove home five runs apiece as the six through nine hitters in the Pioneers batting order — Bostick, Carter, Robirds and Nix — combined to go 13-for-20 at the plate with three home runs, 13 runs scored and 18 RBIs.

“It was good to see everyone step up and drive the ball, especially when Cody came up and looked like they were going to rally,” said Mike Jameson. “It was huge for those guys at the bottom of the order to be able to step up and drive the ball as well as they did.”

The victory places Powell alone atop the Northwest Conference standings after both teams entered Tuesday's game undefeated in league play. Powell is now 7-0 in the conference and improved to 26-11-2 overall this summer.

The two teams were scheduled to square off again last night (Wednesday) in Powell. Powell and Cody also are scheduled for a pair of league games on July 13-14.

In a schedule change, the Pioneers announced their July 3-4 doubleheaders against the Billings Halos have been cancelled. Powell was slated to face the Halos for two home games on Saturday and for a return pair of games in Billings on Sunday. The four games were dropped after team officials encountered difficulties finding umpiring crews to work the games. They will not be rescheduled.

“There just weren't enough free dates to really think about rescheduling them,” said Jameson, whose team now won't play again until a July 6 home doubleheader against Green River.

Powell also travels to Casper next week for its final regular-season tournament, playing July 8-11 as part of the Mike Devereaux Tournament field.

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