Seniors battle through tough week

The Imperial Seniors lost their first game of the season Friday, but rebounded and showed their grit in wins Saturday and Sunday.
Imperial dug itself into a 0-5 hole Friday at Lexington.
After three up, three down to start the game, Imperial allowed Lexington’s first five batters to reach base before sitting down three in a row.
Trailing 0-4, Imperial loaded the bases in the second inning, but couldn’t plate any runs.
Lexington added one more run in the bottom of the second. It would be its final run, but would make the difference.
Bennett Bauerle started off the third inning with a walk and stolen base. Bauerle would score on a Nolan Burrell double. Jaret Peterson followed up Burrell’s hit with an RBI single.
Both teams were scoreless in the fourth inning, but Imperial was able to score Dominic Sis and Trevor Peterson in the fifth inning after the pair each hit singles. Emmitt Zuege earned two RBIs with a single.
Imperial put bats on the ball in the sixth and seventh innings. Runs, however, were impossible to come by. Sis was tagged out at home on a fielder’s choice in the seventh and the Horns left the bases loaded in the 4-5 loss.
Imperial stranded nine base runners, while Lexington left five on the base paths.
The Horns outhit Lexington 8-6. Zuege went 2-2.
Burrell and Sis gave up two walks and struck out eight.
Despite the season’s first loss, Horns’ Head Coach Bruce Peterson said he would take tough one-run games over blowouts any day.
“That’s how we get better. It’s hard to play undefeated. Sometimes a loss, like we had in Lexington, is just what we need to refocus for the rest of the season,” Peterson said.
Imperial returned home the next night to face Gothenburg.
Bauerle and T. Peterson walked and scored to give Imperial a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but eight walks in the second inning led to five runs for the Melons.
Carter Leibbrandt and Sis walks set them up to score on a T. Peterson double in the bottom of the second to get the Horns back on track.
Three straight errors by Gothenburg scored T. Peterson and loaded the bases before a ground-out ended the Imperial threat.
The Horns took the lead in the third inning after Bauerle singled and scored on a T. Peterson single.
Five more runs in the fourth, after sitting down six straight Gothenburg batters in the third and fourth innings gave Imperial a six-run cushion.
While T. Peterson doubled and J. Peterson and Leibbrandt singled, two Melons’ errors helped plate runs.
The game was far from over, however. Gothenburg scored two runs in the top of the fifth to make the score 11-7. Imperial answered by loading the bases, but left the runners stranded.
The Horns held Gothenburg scoreless to start the sixth inning then brought Sis around to score as storm clouds moved in.
Though 12-7 was the final score, the game was much closer.
Gothenburg scored three runs and had a runner on first  when the game was called due to the weather.
Imperial out hit the Melons 10-2. T. Peterson went 3-3 with six RBIs.
T. Peterson and Bauerle pitched for the Horns, walking 13 and striking out seven.
Fans were not disappointed Sunday when league-leading Broken Bow came to town for what was anticipated to be a great game.
After a scoreless first inning, Broken Bow took the lead to start the second. Broken Bow had a walk, a single and a sac fly to score one run.
The Horns had five base runners over the course of the first three innings, but went scoreless until the fourth.
J. Peterson led off the inning with a single to right field and advanced to second with a walk by Zuege. Both would come around to score, giving Imperial a 2-1 lead at the end of the fourth inning.
Imperial defense played well in the game. After a Broken Bow single to lead off the fifth, the Horns turned a double play and got a ground-out to end the inning.
Broken Bow led off the sixth inning with a double, but after Bryder Hickey caught a fly ball to right, Sis took the relay and hit T. Peterson behind the plate to catch the runner and turn the double play.
Despite Imperial stranding one runner on third in the fifth inning and two runners in the sixth inning, on the mound Zuege forced two fly balls to Sis in left field and one to Bauerle in center field to end the game.
Sis and Zuege combined to give up four hits, five walks and five strikeouts.
With five pitchers throwing for Imperial over the weekend, Peterson had high praise for his rotation.
“I believe we have the best pitching staffs, both juniors and seniors, around. In fact, we have junior pitchers that step up and pitch senior games when we need them to,” Peterson said.
With today’s pitch count rules, Peterson said coaches have to work in a rotation while watching the calendar, rest days and quality of the next opponent.
Up next
Imperial traveled to Ogallala Tuesday for a junior/senior doubleheader.
The junior/senior doubleheaders will continue through the week.
Imperial will travel to Curtis/Maywood Saturday then go to Broken Bow Monday.
The Horns will host Ogallala Tuesday.
Looking at the schedule, Peterson said Ogallala always puts together quality teams, then said Curtis/Maywood will struggle with numbers and will have to use a lot of the same kids in both games.
“We’ve been there ourselves and it’s tough to compete sometimes. They will also be a district opponent in a couple weeks so it’ll be good to see what they’ve got,” Peterson added.