Lovell Minors all-stars split a pair at home tournament

The Lovell Little League Minors all-star team played some good baseball at the Big Horn Little League All Stars and Stripes Tournament Saturday at the Lovell Northeast baseball fields, dominating one game and nearly winning a second.

The Mustangs opened with Cody Saturday at noon and nearly pulled off an upset before a late rally gave Cody an 8-7 win. Lovell then beat Powell 16-1 in game two.

Lovell took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in game one against Cody as Karson Adey walked and scored on a triple off the bat of Esson Anderson, who then scored on a triple by Daniel Henderson. Tux Mills singled to score Henderson.

Cody scored a run off Lovell starter Anderson in the second inning and two in the third to tie the game 3-3, but the Mustangs scored three more in the bottom of the third to lead 6-3 as Adey and Henderson raced home when the ball slipped away from the Cody catcher. Kali Jameson also scored in the inning.

Lovell added what appeared to be an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth to lead 7-3 when Adey singled home Cooper Miller.

Cody rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth and held the Lovell bats at bay in the bottom of the inning to win 8-7, many runs crossing the plate on passed balls. Lovell out-hit Cody in the game 8-6.

Anderson allowed three runs while striking out six in four innings of work as the starters, and Henderson threw the final two innings, allowing five runs while fanning two.

Coach Stephen Anderson said the game was a learning experience for players and coaches alike.

“That’s why we do this tournament,” he said. “The coaches are learning, too. We played some good baseball, but you’ve got to finish the game. We just ran out of gas.

“(Our performance) was pretty impressive after only three practices. Cody has been practicing for weeks.”

Powell romp

Lovell clobbered Powell in game two, out-hitting Powell 19-0. Lovell scored two runs in the first inning, seven in the second and seven in the third before the game was called on the 15-run mercy rule. Powell scored one in the second.

“A lot of kids were hitting,” Anderson said, noting that Henderson, Adey, Jameson, Lincoln Miller, Neko Hernandez, Raegan Dickerson and Mills had two hits each. Henderson ripped two doubles, Adey, Miller and Hernandez one each.

Jameson started on the mound and pitched two innings, allowing one run and walking one while striking out five. Lincoln Miller pitched one inning, allowing no runs while walking one and fanning one.

“The kids came in fired up,” Anderson said. “Powell is a well-coached team. They’re just a very young team this year. We had 19 hits, which is extremely impressive for three innings.”

Next up for the Minors all-stars is the district tournament in Pinedale July 8-11. Registered as Big Horn in the tournament, Lovell will meet Cody July 8 at 2 p.m. and Pinedale July 9 at 11:30 a.m. in pool play. Teams will then be seeded into a bracket on Friday and Saturday, July 10-11. Also in the tournament are Rock Springs, Powell, Afton, Bridger Valley and Green River. Two teams will advance to the state tournament.