Powell improves to 18-4
Times Photo by Kayla Mays-The Lady Pirates break from a huddle on the mound during last week's game against Jackson City. Though struggling some this season with a young team, the Lady Pirates have enjoyed some successes. They beat Jackon City 7-4 and this past Monday topped Owsley County 14-2 to improve to 2-1 in district play. They will host the Tanner Classic beginning tonight (Thursday) and running through Saturday. Powell will play Lee and Wolfe counties tonight.
The Powell County baseball team continued their winning ways this past week. The Pirates played five games and won all of them. Last Monday, the Pirates traveled to Bath County to take on the Wildcats. Powell easily defeated an error-prone Bath County by the score of 11 – 2.
Billy Hatmaker hit his first homerun as a Pirate in the game. Last Tuesday, the Pirates were at home against 56th District foe, Owsley County. The Pirates wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, Powell scored twelve runs in the bottom of the first inning and the rout was on. The Powell starters came out of the game after the first inning and the Pirates cruised to a 20 – 0 victory.
This past Friday night, Powell traveled to Whitesburg to take on the Letcher Central Cougars. Both teams were undefeated against 14th Region competition for the 2012 season.
Letcher Central, the defending 14th Region champions and preseason favorite to repeat, and Powell would lock up for a classic high school baseball game.
Powell led off the game with a walk to Matt Pelfrey. Cody Morton laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to get Pelfrey to second base. Elliot Hale singled sharply to center scoring the first run off the game. Joey Johnson, the Pirate ace, was on the mound for Powell. Letcher Central collected a single but that was erased by a double play by the Pirate infield. After one inning the score was 1 – 0 in favor of the Pirates.
Both pitchers held the opponents in the second with no runs scoring. Powell would score another run in the third. Morton singled to start the inning and David Hayes singled in the infield to put runners on first and second. Hale moved the runners over with sacrifice bunt. Frank Spencer singled to right field scoring a run but the second runner was cut down at the plate. Johnson allowed a run to Letcher in the bottom of the inning and the Pirates led 2 – 1 after three innings of play. Powell and Letcher failed to score in the fourth.
The Pirates were also held without scoring in the fifth inning. Letcher managed to score a run in the bottom of the inning and the score was 2 – 2 after five innings.
Powell did not score in the sixth and Letcher led off the bottom of the inning with a single.
Johnson was replaced on the mound by freshman pitcher Chance Snowden. After a sacrifice bunt, Snowden got the next two batters to fly out to end the sixth inning with the game still tied.
Powell started the seventh with a single by Pelfrey. Morton put down another sacrifice bunt and reached base on an error by the Letcher pitcher. Powell had runners on first and second with no outs. Hayes hammered the ball to left field and collected a ground rule double as the ball bounced over the fence, Pelfrey scored on the hit. Hale was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Hatmaker hit the ball to third base but the throw home was wide and Morton scored for the Pirates. Powell failed to score any more runs and took a 4 – 2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Snowden continued to throw strikes and force the Cougar hitters to put the ball in play. The first batter popped out to Hale in center field. Letcher got a hit in the infield on a check swing. Snowden got the cleanup hitter to strikeout for the second out. The final batter hit a line drive to Caleb McCoy in right field to end the game and the Pirates won 4 – 2.
This past Saturday, the Pirates were at Knott Central for a doubleheader. The first game was against Knott Central and the second against Allen Central. Powell quickly dispatched both opponents, The Pirates won easily 13 -0 in the first game and 11 -0 in the second game.
Powell’s record now stands at 18 – 4 overall and 3 – 0 in district play. The Pirates were scheduled to face Owsley County on Wednesday. Powell will be at Montgomery County on Friday to play in a Wood Bat Classic, Lincoln County is the opponent. On Saturday, the Pirates will face Montgomery County and Morgan County in the classic.