After a strong weekend in Billings the Powell Pioneers were not so fortunate on Tuesday night, dropping a pair of games to the Billings Expos 8-3 and 11-3 to snap their six game winning streak.

BILLINGS EXPOS 8, POWELL 3

Hoping to continue their win streak the Pioneers (18-19) came up against a stout opponent in the Expos (18-5).

Powell struck first in the top of the first with a Jordan Loera leadoff triple.

Trevion Solberg followed with a single, scoring Loera and making it a 1-0 contest.

Billings answered in the bottom of the second, with a two out solo home run knotting the game 1-1.

Neither team found a run to take the lead until the bottom of the fourth, when disaster struck  the Pioneers.

A leadoff single followed by a home run made it a 3-1 lead for the hosts.

Billings got another runner on, but a fielder’s choice saw him out advancing to second base with a new runner occupying first.

After a pop out, that runner reached third after an attempt to catch him stealing second went wrong for the Pioneers, and he was driven in on a double.

A single followed and put runners on the corners, before another double scored an additional run and made it 5-1.

The Expos added one more run after a single and the Pioneers trailed 6-1.

Powell had a chance in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with two outs but the Pioneers were unable to score.

Billings added one more run in the bottom of the fifth, as three walked batters loaded the bases, and a wild pitch scored another to make it 7-1.

The Pioneers got runs back in the top of the sixth, as Ben Ostermiller walked to lead off.

Ryan Barrus singled, advancing Ostermiller all the way to third to get runners on the corners.

Christian Love singled and scored Ostermiller to make it 7-2.

Abel Teten hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Love out advancing to second, but a play at first saw Teten safe and allowed  Barrus to round third and score on the throw to make it 7-3.

Powell again loaded the bases, adding Loera after he was hit by a pitch and Solberg walked.

A pop out and a strikeout ended the Pioneer threat, before the Expos ended the scoring in the sixth.

“We could get guys on. Those big hits we got all weekend we just weren’t getting them last night,” manager Jason Borders said. “We would either strike out or hit the ball right at somebody.”

A single and two walks loaded the bases with no outs for the Expos, threatening to extend the lead even further.

Powell struck out a batter to get the first out, and a line out got the second.

Unfortunately, on the same play an errant throw allowed a run to score and make it 8-3.

Solberg led Powell at the plate going 3-3 with one RBI, finishing as the only Pioneer with multiple hits in the contest.

Billings finished with more hits 10-7 while Powell committed the lone error.

Kolby Gates went 3-2/3 giving up nine hits, six earned runs with one walk and one strikeout.

Teten went 1-1/3 giving up one hit, one earned and six walks, Love went one inning and gave up no base runners with two strikeouts.

BILLINGS EXPOS 11, POWELL 3

In the second contest the Expos got off to the quick start, getting a baserunner on through a triple with one out in the bottom of the first.

An error scored the run and put a new runner on, and a walk advanced that runner to get him in scoring position.

A double scored one run, before a fly out allowed the lead runner to tag up and score another to make it 3-0 after the first.

Powell threatened in the second, after Solberg walked and advanced on a sac bunt by Ostermiller.

Rowan Diaz singled before a strikeout for the second out, and a walk to Talon Nuss loaded the bases with two outs.

A fly out ended the scoring threat for Powell.

Billings added to the lead in the bottom of the second, getting runners on through a walk and single with two outs.

A single scored one run, before a double scored a pair and made it 6-0.

Powell got on the board in the top of the third, starting with singles by Loera and Caden Diaz.

Cole Fauskee singled and scored a run, making it 6-1.

Two strikeouts followed by a Rowan Diaz walk loaded the bases, but another strikeout ended the inning for Powell.

Powell got another back in the top of the fourth, starting with a Nuss single.

He stole second and advanced to third on a Loera ground out, before scoring on a Caden Diaz single to make it 6-2.

Billings extended its lead back out in the bottom of the fourth, as a walk and error put runners on the corners for the Expos.

A single scored one run, then with a runner stealing second the Expos stole home and made it 8-2.

A ground out advanced that runner to third, and a sac fly scored another to make it 9-2.

Powell got another in the top of the fifth, as a walk to Solberg got things started.

He advanced on a sac bunt by Ostermiller, and advanced further on a ground out.

Gates was hit by a pitch, before Nuss singled and scored Solberg to make it 9-3.

Billings got the final runs in the bottom of the fifth, as a single followed by a home run added two runs, before the game was called due to rain with an 11-3 scoreline.

“We gave up some home runs and that was big for them. They’ve (Expos) improved a lot since the last time we saw them,” Borders said. “They’ve played good teams and improved a lot.”

Loera, Diaz and Nuss each recorded two hits as the Pioneers were out hit 10-8 in the game and Powell committed the only two errors.

Dominik Bieber pitched 4-1/3 giving up 10 hits, seven earned runs, three walks and recorded one strikeout.

DILLON TOURNAMENT

Powell now dips back into Montana, taking part in the Maybell Arthur Wood Bat Tournament in Dillon starting on Friday.

The Pioneers take on the Dillon Cubs (5-10) at 1:30 p.m. as their lone game on Friday.

Powell then takes on the Post 56 Knights (7-13) at 9 a.m. on Saturday before taking on Kuna Tribe (15-6-1) at 1:30 p.m.

Wrapping things up Sunday the Pioneers take on the Broncs Baseball Club (3-1) at 11:15 a.m. and the Mission Valley Mariners (11-12) at 1:30 p.m.

“We’re gonna see a bunch of teams we haven’t seen before,” Borders said. “I think a lot of times when you play teams you don’t know it’s better because you don’t have expectations. I think we’ll be fine, we’ll bounce back.”