Pirates edge Estill, lead district
The Powell County baseball team played its biggest game of the season so far last Tuesday against the Estill County Engineers. Both teams were undefeated in district play and the winner of the game would have the upper hand in the district standings.
Both teams had their changes early with both leaving runners on base and failing to score. Joey Johnson was on the mound for the Pirates.
Powell started the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning when Billy Hatmaker led off with a double, Frank Spencer singled to score Hatmaker for the games first run. Johnson collected a single down the left field line to plate Spencer. With two outs and nobody on base, Caleb McCoy was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Matt Pelfrey singled to score the run. Powell led 3 – 0 after four innings.
Estill County scored a single run in the top of the fifth inning on a hit and a Pirate error to make the score 3 – 1. Powell failed to score in the bottom of the fifth and Johnson held the Engineers scoreless in the top of the sixth inning.
Powell in the bottom of the sixth with two outs got a single by Ryan Centers. On the second pitch Centers stole second base. McCoy singled to score the run. Matt Pelfrey walked and McCoy scored on a past ball. Powell led 5 – 1 after six innings. Johnson would mow the Estill County batters down in the top of the seventh and the Pirates won the game 5 – 1 and stayed undefeated in 56th District play.
Last Thursday, the Clark County Cardinals came to Stanton to face the Pirates. This game was an old fashioned pitching duel. Trey Marcum pitched a great game for the Pirates. Both teams only managed four hits each for the game. The games only run scored in the fifth inning on an infield hit by Clark. Marcum and the Pirates fell 1 – 0 to the Cardinals.
Last Friday, Powell traveled to Perry Central to face the Commodores. Powell managed to get enough hits to take a six run lead. Frank Spencer pitched the first five innings for the Pirates before giving way to the bullpen. Perry scored two runs and had bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Chance Snowden came in to pitch for the Pirates. The freshman Snowden, got Perry out without allowing a run to score and the Pirates won 6 - 2.
On Saturday, Powell hosted Lawrence County, a power from the 15th Region. Hatmaker was on the mound for the Pirates. Lawrence failed to score in the first inning. Powell wasted no time getting on the board. David Hayes singled and scored on a hit by Elliot Hale. Hatmaker walked and two runs scored on an error by the Lawrence centerfielder. Powell led 3 – 0 after one inning.
Lawrence scored a run in the top of the second inning. Powell opened the scoring up in the bottom of the second inning with five runs. The Pirates got a single by Marcum, a double from Pelfrey, and an infield hit by Cody Morton. With two outs the Pirates collected four straight singles. Hale, Hatmaker, Spencer and Johnson all reached base. The Pirates led 8 – 1 after two innings.
Hatmaker again held Lawrence in the third. Cody Morton walked, Hayes singled, and then Morton scored on an error to give Powell the lead, 9 – 1 after three innings. Lawrence failed to score in the fourth inning.
Hatmaker led off the fourth for the Pirates by being hit by a pitch and Spencer walked. Both scored on a double by Johnson. Marcum singled to score a run. Dillon Morton walked and Brett Goodwin doubled to score a run. Ryan Smith singled to plate another Pirate run. Powell led 14 – 1 after four innings. Johnson came in to pitch the fifth for the Pirates. Lawrence scored a pair of runs but the Pirates cruised to victory, 14 – 3 over Lawrence County.
The Pirates record now stands at 13 – 4 overall and 2 - 0 in district play. Powell was scheduled to travel to Bath County on Monday and be home on Tuesday against Owsley County. The Pirates travel to Letcher Central on Friday and have a doubleheader on Saturday at Knott Central.