The Powell Pioneers didn’t need an extra game, just an extra inning.

Powell defeated Cody 5-4 in eight innings Wednesday to win the Legion ‘A’ state title for the second year in a row.

The victory completed an undefeated run in the state tournament — had the Pioneers (47-18) lost, they still would have had the chance to play Cody (38-21-1) a second time for a state title.

As it was, Powell rallied from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game in the sixth. In the top of the eighth, Trey Stenerson doubled to drive in Ethan Welch for the go-ahead run. Brock Johnson struck out three of four batters in the bottom of the inning for the save.

Cade Queen pitched 6 2/3 innings to match Cody ace Trey Schroeder, who both left with a 4-4 game, and Jordan Loera threw 1-1/3 in relief for the win.

Powell outhit Cody 11-9 and Cody recorded the game’s lone error.

It was the seventh meeting of the year between the county rivals, with Powell winning five of the contests, including once before in the state tournament.

The Powell Pioneers blew past their two opponents on Monday and Tuesday, defeating Cody 17-2 and Casper 10-0 to advance to a second straight title game, before the Pioneers battled the Cubs once again on Wednesday.

POWELL 17, CODY 2

In the winners’ bracket semifinal, the Pioneers and Cubs  battled it out for a guaranteed spot in the state championship, as Powell jumped out early and often against the opposition.

The first run came in the top of the first, when Brock Johnson walked and stole second, and Cade Queen hit a single that allowed Johnson to score.

Powell loaded the bases, but didn’t find any more offense in the first inning.

In the second, Jacob Gibson led off with a single and advanced after a Jordan Loera sacrifice bunt.

Ethan Welch singled to drive in Gibson, and Queen joined him on base after a two out single.

Momentum fully swung in the direction of the Pioneers when Trey Stenerson stepped up and launched a three-run home run over the left field wall, giving Powell a 5-0 lead.

“I wasn’t sure they (home runs) were coming this weekend,” manager Jason Borders said. “I didn’t know if we used them up last weekend or not. Usually in this park we hit a few but we hadn’t really hit any deep in the previous games.”

Jhett Schwahn was hit by a pitch, and Cole Fauskee drove him in on a deep hit triple into left field to make it 6-0 after the second.

Johnson continued to hold the Cubs at bay on the mound, not giving up a baserunner through three innings as Powell went scoreless in the third.

“I thought he (Johnson) started quicker and probably better than he has in a long time,” Borders said. “He always throws well, don’t get me wrong, but pitch count wise he got out of those innings quickly … We wanted to get a lead with Brock on the mound and see where that would take us.”

In the fourth Queen stepped up first and launched a home run of his own over the left field wall, and made it 7-0.

Consecutive walks to Stenerson, Schwahn and Fauskee followed and loaded the bases with no outs, and Dalton Worstell singled to score two runs to make it 9-0.

Gibson followed with a double, scoring another and making it 10-0.

Loera singled, scoring one and making it 11-0.

A Johnson sac fly brought in Gibson, and the Pioneers lead grew to 12-0.

Queen capped off the scoring in the top of the fourth, when he singled to score Loera and make it 13-0.

An error on the leadoff hitter for Cody in the bottom of the fourth gave the Cubs their first baserunners, before Johnson struck out his seventh and final batter of the night before Gibson replaced him.

The lead runner stole second, and a double scored Cody its first run with the score at 13-1.

A single brought in another run, and the Cubs trailed 13-2.

Powell extended its lead back in the top of the fifth, when Schwahn walked to lead off and Aiden Greenwald doubled to put two runners in scoring position.

A fly out was unable to score the runners, before another Gibson double brought in a pair and made it 15-2.

Loera singled and a Johnson sac fly scored another to make it 16-2.

Loera stole second and Welch singled to score him and make it 17-2.

“I was totally happy with how the boys played,” Borders said. 

Cody got two runners on in the bottom of the fifth, but Powell closed out the contest 17-2.

Johnson led on the mound with seven strikeouts in a shutout over 3-1/3 while Gibson gave up one earned on two hits in relief.

“Gibby coming in and throwing was huge for him and huge for us,” Borders said. “It was a perfect opportunity to put him in a game against Cody … We were playing to get out of there and save pitching. He had to keep that lead, he was pitching in a tight game really for us because we wanted to make it short. He did a hell of a job. He’s not 100% but he’s a bulldog and he’s going to fight through whatever he has to to get the job done. Happy for him.”

Queen went 4-5 at the plate and had three RBIs, Gibson went 3-4 with three RBIs, Stenerson had three RBIs, Welch, Johnson and Worstell had two RBIs each, and Loera and Fauskee each had one.

Powell outhit Cody 16-2 but committed three errors to none for Cody.

POWELL 10, CASPER 0

That win Monday guaranteed the Pioneers a spot in the state championship game, but to guarantee two chances at the title on Wednesday, Powell had to first defeat the Drillers (39-13) on Tuesday.

Powell once again got on the board early and often, when Stenerson singled to lead off the second and Schwahn walked to join him.

Both runners came in when Fauskee tripled, making it 2-0 Powell.

Worstell followed with a single to score Fauskee, but a double play late in the inning ended Powell’s scoring spree at 3-0.

In the third, Powell continued to pour it on, when Welch reached on an error and advanced to second.

Queen singled to bring him in, before Stenerson singled and Schwahn was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.

Fauskee singled to score one, before an errant throw scored another and made it 6-0, but Powell was unable to extend the lead in the third.

Looking to put the game away early once again the Pioneers loaded the bases after singles by Loera and Johnson and a walk to Welch.

Loera scored on a passed ball during Queen’s at bat, before Stenerson was hit by a pitch to reload the bases.

Schwahn singled and scored two to make it 9-0.

The final run came on a sac fly by Fauskee, putting the game out of reach at 10-0.

“We’re hitting well all through the lineup and I mean, what a better time to do it,” Borders said.

Casper got a baserunner in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Pioneers saw out the shutout and remained undefeated in the state tournament.

Powell outhit Casper 11-4, and committed no errors while Casper committed three.

Greenwald pitched a four-hit shutout on the mound, recording three strikeouts against the Drillers.

“He threw his butt off in that Gillette game and we didn’t back him up,” Borders said. “He came back today, threw his butt off and we backed him up. That kid can pitch … He’s a team player and whenever I ask him to go out there and get us a win he does it.”

Fauskee had four RBIs after going 2-2 at the plate, Schwahn went 1-1 with two RBIs and Worstell had an RBI.

FINAL RESULTS

Game 1: Cody def. Sheridan 9-1

Game 2: Casper def. Evanston 13-3

Game 3: Lovell def. Torrington 13-3

Game 4: Powell def. Gillette 10-4

Game 5: Evanston def. Sheridan 5-3
Sheridan eliminated

Game 6: Torrington def. Gillette 12-11
Gillette eliminated

Game 7: Cody def. Casper 5-4

Game 8: Powell def. Lovell 8-4

Game 9: 1 p.m. Casper def. Torrington 10-5
Torrington eliminated

Game 10: 4 p.m. Lovell def. Evanston 9-5
Evanston eliminated

Game 11: 7 p.m. Powell def. Cody 17-2

Game 12: 1 p.m. Cody def. Lovell 4-3

Game 13: 4 p.m. Powell def. Casper 10-0

Game 14: 11 a.m. Powell def. Cody 5-4