10 The Lovell Chronicle ] June 28, 2012
CHRONICLE
DAVID PECK
Pitcher Jeremy Schneider of the North Big Horn Braves rocks and fires during
the Braves' 5-0 win over the Powell Cardinals Tuesday night. The Braves will
meet the Twins for the interleague championship tonight (Thursday).
DAVID PECK
Brent Snyder of the North Big Horn Twins steals third base against the Powell
Yankees Monday night during the Twins' 3-2 win.
DAVID PECK
McIntosh deliver a pitch dmng the North Big Horn Diamondbacks'
interleague game against the Powell Cardinals Monday night.
in
BY DAVID PECK
It will be an aU-North Big
Horn championship game to-
night (Thursday) as the first In-
terleague Majors Tournament for
Little League Baseball concludes
in Lovell.
This year, instead of league
teams playing each other yet
again in a post-season tourna-
ment, North Big Horn and Powell
officials decided to join forces for
a combined, interleague tourna-
ment for both the Majors and Mi-
nors divisions, with Lovell host-
ing the Majors and Powell the
Minors this year.
Majors play started Monday
evening at the Northeast Little
League Complex, and the North
Big Horn Twins edged the Powell
Yankees 3-2, while the Powell
Cardinals ripped the NBH Dia-
mondbacks 12-0.
In Tuesday's semifinal round,
the Twins topped the Powell Gi-
ants 13-3 while the NBH Braves
blanked the Cardinals 5-0. That
sets up Thursday's champion-
ship game between the North Big
Horn Twins and Giants at 6 p.m.
The Giants and Cards play for
third at the same time.
In the Minors Tournament
being played in Powell this
week, play began Monday with
the Powell Blue Jays edging the
North Big Horn Cardinals 10-9
and the Powell A's beating the
Powell Dodgers 15-12.
Tuesday, the NBH Red Sox
edged the Powell Diamondbacks
14-13 while the Powell Orioles
snuck by the NBH Phillies 13-12.
Two more Minors games were
played Wednesday night, setting
up semifinal games Thursday at
6 p.m. and the championship and
third-place games Friday, also at 6.
Meanwhile, the North
Big Horn ll-12-year-old and
9-10-year-old all-star teams have
been working out preparing for
district action that begins the
week after next. The all-stars will
play in a tournament in Worland
this weekend and another in Cody
July 6-7. All-star pool play among
North Big Horn, Powell and Cody
will take place July 11-12, and in
the case of the ll-12-year-olds,
two of the three teams will ad-
vance to the district tournament
July 17-19 in Cody, with the state
tournament to follow July 25-28
in Green River. All three north
Big Horn Basin 9-10-year-old all-
star teams will advance to the
district tournament.
BY DAVID PECK
The Lovell Mustangs went
0-5 at the Powell Heavy Metal
Classic over the weekend, but the
young, team's record was not in-
dicative of the baseball the Mus-
tangs played - facing an all var-
sity slate of opponents.
Earlier in the season, the
Mustangs played the junior var-
sity squads from regional Amer-
ican Legion powers Sheridan,
Billings and Jackson, but instead
of playing the Sheridan Jets and
Billings Angels in Powell, the
Mustangs went head to head
with the varsity Sheridan Troop-
ers and Billings Halos, as well as
the varsity Cody Cubs, Powell Pi-
oneers and a team from Williston,
N.D.
The Mustangs were competi-
tive in all of the games.
Lovell opened the tourna-
ment against the Cody Cubs Fri-
day morning and fell to the Cubs
11-5.
Cody scored single runs in
the first and second innings, but
the Mustangs jumped ahead with
three runs in the bottom of the
first to lead 3-2 after two. Steven
Pickett led off the home half of
the first with a single, and McK-
ayan May doubled. Jacob Adey,
Kyle Peterson and Jesse Bassett
rapped consecutive singles as the
Mustangs plated three.
Cody got to Lovell starter Ca-
leb Horrocks in the third, scoring
six runs to take an 8-3 lead. CJ
Murphey and Adey relieved Hor-
rocks, and the Cubs added three
more runs in the sixth. After the
strong start, Lovell couldn't gen-
erate another run until the fifth
and sixth, plating a single run in
each inning.
Steven Pickett fmished the
game 4-4 at the plate, and Adey
had three hits.
Facing the powerful Sheri-
dan Troopers Friday afternoon,
the Mustangs battled hard but
fell 10-1. Sheridan jumped on
Lovell starter Steven Pickett for
four runs in the top of the first in-
ning, then added two in the third,
one in the fourth and three in
the sixth as Pickett went the dis-
tance.
Lovell's lone run came in the
fifth. Murphey walked and scored
on a single by May.
Lovell met Williston Satur-
day morning and fell to the North
Dakota squad 9-3. Lovell strug-
gled at the plate early, not get-
ting a runner on base for the first
four innings as Williston built a
8-0 lead against starter Dillon
Pickett.
Kyle Peterson led off the fifth
with a double and scored Lovell's
first run, and the Mustangs add-
ed two more in the sixth as Dil-
lon Pickett and May scored and
Peterson hit his second consecu-
tive two-bagger. Williston added
one more run in the bottom of the
sixth.
Dillon Pickett went the dis-
tance on the mound for the Mus-
tangs, pitching well except when
some wildness allowed Wflliston
to mount a rally.
The Mustangs met the
Billings Halos in game two Sat-
urday morning, and while their
bats heated up to score seven
runs, Billings plated 13 to take
the win.
The game was scoreless
through two innings, and Lovell
broke through for six runs in the
top of the third to lead 6-0. Hits
by Dillon Pickett (two), Bassett,
Brandon Dickson and Steven
Pickett fueled the Lovell attack.
But Billings countered with eight
runs in the bottom of the frame,
finally getting to Lovell hurler
McKayan May.
After Lovell made it 8-7 with
a run in the fourth when Peter-
son singled and came home on a
single by Bassett, Billings struck
again in the fifth, scoring five
runs. The game was called due to
the time limit at that point.
The Mustangs wrapped up
the tournament on Sunday af-
ternoon with a narrow loss to
the Powell Pioneers, 6-5, a rath-
er frustrating loss for the Mus-
tangs.
The Mustangs appeared to
have plated two runs in the top
of the first on a single by Kyle Pe-
terson, but baserunner Steven
Pickett was called out due to run-
ner interference after umpires
listened to comments from the
stands, Coach Ray Peterson said.
A Powell run in the bottom of
the frame was answered by a sin-
gle tally in the top of the second
by the Mustangs as Dickson sin-
gled and scored on a hit by Dan-
iel Call.
Powell went up 3-1 with two
in the bottom of the second, but
Lovell plated two in the third to
tie the score when Call doubled
home Peterson and Caleb Hor-
rocks.
After Powell scored one in
the bottom of the third, the Mus-
tangs took the lead with two in
the fourth when Steven Pickett
doubled and Dillon Pickett sin-
gled, later scoring.
Starter Steven Pickett
blanked Powell in the fourth, but
Powell plated t . in the fifth to
regain the lead and thvMustangs
failed to score fifth or sixth
innings.
Steven Pickett went the dis-
tance on the mound for the Mus-
tangs, and Dillon Pickett and
Kyle Peterson led the team with
three hits apiece.
"We're getting more expe-
rience," Coach Peterson said.
"We're making fewer errors, and
the defense knows what to do
with the ball and what plays to
make. Our (pitching) arms are
getting stronger.
"Offensively, our pitch selec-
tion is better. We're being more
patient, and our batting is get-
ting stronger. Our younger play-
ers are contributing. They're get-
ting the bat on the ball."
HOME OPENER
The Mustangs are 5-19 over-
all and 1-5 in the Northwest Con-
ference following a conference
doubleheader in Riverton Tues-
day night. The Mustangs won the
first game 5-1 and dropped the
nightcap 15-5. No further details
were available by press time.
The Mustangs will play their
first home game of the season to-
night (Thursday) at 5 p.m. when
they meet the Douglas Cats at
5 p.m. Douglas was 8-23 after
weekend play, according to state
American Legion standings.
Lovell will have the week-
end off, then will host Powell for
a conference twin bill Tuesday,
July 3, at 4 p.m.
The Mustangs will attend the
Douglas wood bat tournament
July 6-8 and the Billings Halos
tournament July 12-14.
Greybull Geckos top North Big Horn Rockies
BY DAVID PECK
The Greybull Geckos came to
Cowley Friday night to meet the
North Big Horn Rockies and came
away with an 8-2 win.
According to statistical
"Game Changer" software sup-
plied by Greybull, the Geckos
slowly pecked away at Rockies
starter CJ Murphey, scoring sin-
gle runs in the first, second, third
and fourth innings, ther adding
four more in the fifth.
The Rockies, meanwhile,
scored a run in the first and an-
other in the fourth, making the
score 4-2 at the time before the
Greybull nine put the game
away.
Lovell had only two hits, ac-
cording to the Greybull stats, sin-
gles by Jordan Arnold and Aaron
Monterde. Arnold and Dakota
Bond had RBIs in the game.
Murphey went the distance
on the mound, allowing eight
runs on 10 hits with one walk and
eight strikeouts.
League manager Ray Peter-
son said the North Big Horn A's
defeated the Rockies last Tues-
day, June 19, in Cowley.
No details were reported this
week by Babe Ruth coaches.
The A's are scheduled to play
the Geckos in Greybull tonight
(Thursday) at 6 p.m and the
Rockies will host the Otto Rat-
tlers Friday at 6 p.m.
The Rockies are scheduled to
travel to Thermopolis Monday for
a 6 p.m. contest, and the A's are
scheduled to return to Greybull
on Thursday, July 5, for a 6 p.m.
start.
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