A comeback effort at the state tournament came up short for the Powell Pioneer ‘B’ team, which battled back from a day two loss to make it to the championship game before finishing second.

Powell defeated Gillette 11-9, lost to Sheridan 8-2, beat Cheyenne 4-1, Cody 6-5 and Sheridan 6-5 before losing to Casper in the title game 12-6.

POWELL 11, GILLETTE 9

Kicking off the tournament the Pioneers (23-13) matched up with the Renegades (18-35) in the first round, and got off to a strong start in Torrington.

Ben Ostermiller walked, then advanced all the way to third after a pick off attempt at first led to an error.

Ryan Barrus singled and scored Ostermiller to make it 1-0.

Barrus stole second, and later advanced to third after a failed pick off attempt.

Kolby Gates doubled and scored Barrus, and Dominik Bieber and Jordan Loera walked to load the bases with one out.

Gates eventually scored, ending the first inning at 3-0.

In the second, Ostermiller singled with one out and advanced on a sac bunt by Barrus.

Dakota Erickson doubled and scored Ostermiller, making it 4-0.

Gillette responded with two runs in the top of the third and made it 4-2.

Loera was hit by a pitch and stole second, and Caden Diaz doubled to score him and make it 5-2.

The Renegades continued scoring in the top of the fourth, scoring four and taking a 6-5 lead.

Powell responded, using a Barrus double and an Erickson single to put two on with one out.

Gates reached on an error to score Barrus, and later stole second. During that steal, Erickson stole home on an error and gave Powell the lead 7-6.

Bieber singled to reach, and later stole second. During that steal, Gates came home on an error and made it 8-6.

Loera singled but a double play ended the Powell scoring spree.

In the fifth, Rowan Diaz singled to lead off, and stole second.

A Talon Nuss sac bunted Diaz to third, and Ostermiller scored him after an error by the Renegades.

Gillette loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth, and scored two runs to make it 9-8.

Powell mirrored the Renegades, via singles by Decker Engesser and Caden Diaz while Rowan Diaz walked.

Nuss hit into an error, scoring two and making it 11-8.

Gillette got one back in the top of the seventh, but Powell held on with the bases loaded and one out after a strikeout and a diving snag by Caden Diaz in center field.

Powell spread out five pitchers over seven innings, with only four runs being earned.

Gates had two RBIs and Ostermiller, Barrus, Erickson and Diaz each had one.

Powell finished with more hits 13-11 and Gillette committed more errors 8-6.

SHERIDAN 8, POWELL 2

After a rain delay on Friday, the winners’ bracket games started late at night, which resulted in a difficult contest against the Cavalry (29-21).

“That (rain delay) and losing our best player, we didn’t have Ryan Barrus because his sister was getting married and like I’ve always told the kids, family comes first,” manager Ryan Brown said. “We didn’t get started until almost 10 o’clock and didn’t get done until 12:30 at night, it wore on the kids.”

Sheridan got on the board first, scoring two in the bottom of the second.

Neither team scored again until Sheridan extended its lead in the bottom of the fourth, adding three to make it 5-0.

Powell finally got a run in the top of the fifth, when Bieber, Engesser and Christian Love walked to load the bases with no outs, and Ostermiller walked to score one.

The Pioneers were unable to capitalize further and trailed 5-1.

Sheridan loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three more and making it 8-1.

Powell got one back, after Nuss walked, Erickson was hit by a pitch and Gates singled to score Nuss and make it 8-2.

“We didn’t play good at all that game,” Brown said. “It just wasn’t the right night.”

The Pioneers once again spread out four pitchers in the contest, while Ostermiller and Gates had the lone RBIs.

POWELL 4, CHEYENNE 1

After the loss the Pioneers knew they had no more wiggle room, and a loss against the Post 6 Prep (18-31) would mean the end of their season.

Neither team scored over the first three innings, before Powell got on the board first in the top of the fourth.

Erickson was hit by a pitch, while Gates and Bieber singled to load the bases with no outs.

With two outs a passed ball scored Erickson and made it 1-0.

Powell didn’t have to wait long to extend the lead, when Ostermiller walked and Nuss was hit by a pitch.

An Erickson single scored a run, and another single by Gates loaded the bases.

Bieber hit into a fielder’s choice that led to an error, and two runners scored for Powell and made it 4-0.

Cheyenne got its lone run in the bottom of the sixth, and Powell saw out the win 4-1.

Ostermiller threw a five hit, nine strikeout complete game.

“Ben threw the game of his life,” Brown said.

Erickson and Bieber each had an RBI.

POWELL 6, CODY 5

Heading into Sunday, the Pioneers kept pushing through the consolation bracket, this time matching up with the rival Cubs (26-16-2).

Cody got on the board in the top of the first, but Powell answered right back in the bottom half.

Nuss singled, Barrus hit into a fielder’s choice but Cody couldn’t get an out, and Gates singled to load the bases with one out.

Erickson hit a sac fly, scoring one and making it a 1-1 contest after the first.

Powell took the lead in the bottom of the second, when Caden Diaz doubled and Rowan Diaz singled.

Engesser singled to score one, but Powell was unable to score any more and led 2-1.

In the third the Pioneers added to the lead, when Erickson doubled and Bieber singled to put two on.

Caden Diaz hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring one and making it 3-1 after the third.

Powell kept rolling along at 3-1, until Cody got one run back in the top of the fifth.

Strong hitting from Cody in the top of the sixth scored three runs, and Powell needed a response to keep its season alive.

Nuss walked and Barrus singled with Nuss advancing to third on the hit.

Barrus stole second, and Gates singled to score Nuss.

Erickson walked and loaded the bases, but a fielder’s choice  on Bieber’s hit saw the tying run out at home.

Caden Diaz hit into a fielder’s choice that got Erickson out at third, but scored Gates to tie the contest 5-5.

Rowan Diaz stepped up and delivered a single to right field that scored Bieber and helped the Pioneers walk off the Cubs 6-5.

“We gave them their opportunities, they took advantage of it, and we came back that bottom of the seventh and won it,” Brown said.

Caden Diaz gave up one hit and two earned along with nine strikeouts, Nuss finished the game in two innings of relief.

Caden Diaz had two RBIs, while Gates, Erickson, Engesser and Rowan Diaz each had an RBI.

POWELL 6, SHERIDAN 5

Powell then advanced to take on the Cavalry once again, where 6-5 once again proved to be the magic number.

Sheridan got on the board first in the top of the first, scoring one before Powell got its offense going early.

Ostermiller singled and Nuss walked, before Barrus hit a sac bunt to advance the runners.

“We got Ryan back that day. They left at 2 in the morning from Powell and drove through the night, got to Torrington at about 7:30-8 in the morning and came right to the field,” Brown said.

Gates grounded out, but scored Ostermiller and advanced Nuss.

Erickson singled, before Caden Diaz hit into an error that allowed for extra bases, bringing Erickson all the way around behind Nuss to make it 3-1 and advance Diaz to second.

Rowan Diaz followed with a single and scored Caden to make it 4-1.

Sheridan got one back in the second and third, and Powell held the lead 4-3.

In the fifth, the Cavalry once again got two more runs and took a 5-4 lead.

Barrus and Gates singles put runners on in the top of the sixth, and Powell threatened to tie or take the lead.

Rowan Diaz stepped up and hit a triple, scoring both and giving Powell the lead back 6-5.

Powell did not allow a baserunner in the sixth or seventh, and held on to advance to the championship.

Love pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and three earned.

“Christian was amazing. When we went up to a ‘A’ tournament in Dillon (Montana) he pitched against a ‘AA’ team and kind of shut them down. We gave him the opportunity and he took advantage of it. He was amazing and I was proud of that kid,” Brown said.

Rowan Diaz had three RBIs while Gates and Caden Diaz each had one.

CASPER 12, POWELL 6

After the win, Powell advanced to the championship game but ran into a tall task, taking on the Wildcatters (32-17) who hadn’t lost a game yet at the tournament. Powell needed to win two to claim a state title.

“They went 1-2 last year … after we got that second win it was huge for those kids at state and we kept building off that and made it to the state championship,” Brown said.

Powell struck first, when Ostermiller doubled and stole third before an error on Barrus’ hit scored him to make it 1-0.

Gates singled and Caden Diaz walked to load the bases with two outs.

Barrus scored on a wild pitch, and Powell led 2-0 before Casper answered in the bottom half with two runs.

That score stood until the top of the third, when Barrus hit into an error and Gates advanced him on a sac bunt.

Erickson singled to bring in Barrus, before Caden Diaz doubled to put two runners in scoring position.

Rowan Diaz singled to score one, and later while he was stealing second, Caden scored to make it 5-2.

Casper found its way to equalize in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs and making it 5-5.

In the top of the fifth, Erickson walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

He advanced to third on a fly out after tagging up, before Rowan Diaz walked to put runners on the corner.

A balk scored Erickson, and Powell led 6-5.

That was when the wheels fell off.

Casper scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to claim the lead, and five more in the sixth while Powell was unable to find any base runners as the Wildcatters won 12-6.

“We had the lead through the fifth, we just ran out of steam and ran out of pitching,” Brown said. “That was our sixth game, that was their fourth. Their (Casper’s) first game was against Torrington’s ‘C’ team so they didn’t really throw anyone. They had their top three guys available to throw in the championship game and we made them work for it. They had to throw all three guys because they weren’t able to figure out which one could shut us down.”

Powell pitched three in the contest, while Erickson and Rowan Diaz had the lone RBIs.

MOVING UP

Finishing runners-up in the ‘B’ division should help grow the confidence of the younger Pioneers, as they will need to replace a large outgoing senior class on the ‘A’ team with nine leaving.

“These kids worked their butts off all year long, got better and better, by the time state rolled around we were rolling. This was my favorite season all-time in 30 years,” Brown said. “What I hope they learned is that ‘hey we made it to the championship, we want more now, we want to win that championship and take the next step to win it all.’ I think being around this year’s ‘A’ team since we practice together so much I think they’re learning that quickly.”