Horns Juniors win Mid-Summer Classic in Broken Bow

The Pinnacle Bank Imperial Horns Juniors team got a taste of some of central Nebraska’s best teams over the weekend at Broken Bow’s Mid-Summer Classic.
The Horns opened the tournament with a loss to St. Paul, 5-2 in the Mid-Nebraska Baseball League.
Imperial struggled to get its bats going in the game, striking out 11 times. The Horns’ only run of the game came on a lead off home run by Jaret Peterson in the fourth inning.
Defensively, Imperial held St. Paul scoreless over the first two innings. St. Paul scored  three runs in the third inning with four singles and one batter hit by a pitch. St. Paul scored its only other run in the seventh on back-to-back errors by the Horns.
Camron Lempke pitched the complete game. Lempke gave up eight hits and only one walk to go with eight strikeouts.
Imperial had five hits in the game, including two by Lempke.
After Saturday’s game against Broken Bow was called off because of stormy weather, the Horns took to the field bright and early Sunday to face Dannebrog/Cairo/Boelus (DCB), the team that leads the league standings with a 5-1 record.
The Horns got themselves out of a bases loaded jam in the third inning but still trailed 0-3 heading into the fourth. Thomas Reeves was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth inning and came around to score after singles by Lempke and Gavin Wisnieski.
As its defense stymied DCB, Imperial took the lead for good with a three-run fifth inning. Three out of the Horns’ first four batters singled. DCB errors set up two runners to score and a third run was brought home by a Wisnieski sacrifice fly.
The Horns added two more runs in the seventh inning, once more helped by a DCB error.
The lead shrunk to 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh before a ground out left DCB runners stranded on first and third.
Peterson and Tristan Jablonski combined to give up seven hits and three walks, while striking out nine batters.
Imperial was right back on the field to face Plattsmouth for its final game.
The Horns’ defense only allowed two runners across the first three innings.
Imperial was in the same boat for two innings, but broke free for three runs in the bottom of the third. Two batters hit by pitches set the table for the Horns to score off two Plattsmouth errors.
Imperial errors let Plattsmouth lead off the fourth inning with two runs, but the Horns added to their total in the innings, as well. Wisnieski singled, then moved around the bases to home on two passed balls.
The fifth inning wasn’t great for base runners. Plattsmouth had one tagged out at third and Imperial had each of its three batters reach base before two were called out on fielders choice plays and one was caught stealing.
Both teams found offensive success in the sixth. Six out of Plattsmouth’s seven batters put the ball in play, leading to three runs. Trailing for the first time, the Horns scored two runs after a walk, error and passed ball by Plattsmouth.
Hanging on to a 6-5 lead, Imperial allowed runners to reach second and third with two outs, but a ground ball ended the game.
Noah Rau and Jablonski allowed six hits and walked four. Rau struck out five.
Wisnieski went 2-3 at the plate.
Imperial and Broken Bow were each 2-1 in the tournament. The Horns placed first based on runs allowed.
St. Paul and Plattsmouth each finished 2-2 and DCB was 1-3.
Beat McCook
in five innings
Imperial jumped on McCook early June 6 and claimed an 11-3 win over the visitors.
After sitting down McCook in order to start the game, the Horns’ bats were hot to start the game. A two-run homer by Peterson was one of three hits in the first inning, but Imperial left the bases loaded.
McCook responded with a two-run dinger in the second inning to tie the game.
Imperial picked up where it left off in the first inning with four straight hits and Peterson’s second two-run homer of the game.
Although the Horns didn’t score in the third inning, Imperial kept McCook on its heels. Imperial sat down the top of McCook’s lineup in the top of the inning and loaded the bases in the bottom half.
Two Imperial errors set McCook up to score a run in the fourth before Imperial scored four runs and loaded the bases once more in the fourth inning.
The Horns closed out the game by sitting McCook down in order in the fifth, took advantage of two McCook errors to score two runs and end the game.
Peterson pitched a complete game, striking out six and allowing four hits.
Wisnieski, Jablonski and George Colton each had two hits. Lempke led off and reached base all four times, including three walks. Horns’ batters didn’t strike out in the game.
Up next
The juniors played a doubleheader with Furnas County Tuesday night.
Seven junior-senior double headers will be played between now and June 25 with five being on the road.
Thursday Imperial will be in Sutherland. Broken Bow and Gothenburg will be in Imperial Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Then begins four-straight away games at McCook, Ogallala, Broken Bow and Holdrege.
A  junior-senior doubleheader  game at Lexington has been added to Imperial schedule on June 21.