Times photo by James Cook

2019 District Champion Powell County Pirates

First championship since 2015

By JAMES COOK

Times Sports Writer

When tournament time begins every team in the state has the same record. It literally comes down to who is playing their best when the tournaments begin.

The Powell County Pirates are playing pretty well.

Powell won their opening round game in the 56th District Tournament easily, then topped their rival to grab the title. It was the Pirates first championship crown in four years.

The first game pitted the Pirates against Owsley County. The Pirates secured the number one seed for the 56th District Tournament and faced the number four seed Owls.

Trent Rogers got the start on the hill and went two innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out one.  Wyatt Clark, named as top player in the 14th Region, and Jace Ware both came in relief out of the bull pen to close out the game.

This one was never in question.  The Pirates scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Pirates got a shipload of hits picking up 12 in the game. They also ended up taking 12 unearned bases.

The Pirates sailed to an easy victory, 16-6.

That set up the district title game. The match up of the two best teams in the district looked to be a great one. The teams aces were set to meet. Rocky Hix took the mound for the Engineers and Nate Skidmore led the Pirates from the hill.

Skidmore came out strong knocking out the first two hitters for the Engineers in the top of the first.  Micah Adams had a base hit but Skidmore then retired the four hole hitter, Rocky Hix.

The Pirates then opened the sails in the bottom of the first on offense. They scored four runs on base hits by Skidmore and Jon Brooks. They added a pair of two out doubles by Braxton Anderson and Kyle Hale.  

Ultimately the Pirate’s offense and pitching by 14th Region Player of the Year, Nate Skidmore, were too much for the Engineers.  Skidmore shut out the Engineers, picking up the victory on the hill for Pirates. He went seven innings, allowing zero runs on four hits, striking out four.

Powell grabbed the 5-0 victory.  The win gave Powell the 56th District Championship for the first time in since 2015.  It also gave second year Coach Frank Spencer his first district title.

Both teams advanced to the 14th Region Tournament. The tournament, held at Letcher Central began last Saturday. 

Information for these stories was provided by Chad Poe.