Imperial Horns have unpredictable week

    Between the Pinnacle Bank Legion JV, Junior and Senior teams, the Horns were scheduled for more than 10 games last week.
    By the time Mother Nature was through with them, only four games were completed.
    “It’s been a little crazy,” Horns Head Coach Bruce Peterson said.
    The Juniors’ double-header at Cambridge last Thursday was called off due to the weather.
    The Seniors went to Colby, Kansas last Friday for a doubleheader. Jaret Peterson pitched six no-hit innings before a storm paused the game in the sixth inning with Imperial leading 1-0.
    “Colby is a quality team and these were shaping up to be really good games,” Peterson said.
    The remainder of the game, plus two more of a scheduled, seniors-only doubleheader, was finished this Wednesday.
    The JV team had a full slate of games scheduled, starting with a doubleheader at home against Ogallala June 27.
    Ogallala scored one run in the first inning, but didn’t hold the lead for long. Destry Oxford led off Imperial’s half of the inning with a double. Ogallala’s pitching struggles helped the Horns load the bases and have a seven-run first inning.
    Imperial’s offense cooled in the second inning. The Horns bounced back with a run in the third inning after James Adle and Brextin Moreno led off the inning being hit by pitches.
    Ogallala had one batter in the top of the fourth inning before storms moved in and shut down the games.
    Kaden Vogt pitched for Imperial and helped himself out with a double at the plate.
    Peterson said they were playing their best ball of the year when that rain happened.
    The weekend’s three-day JV tournament at Sidney was cut short, as well.
    Friday’s games were all canceled due to rain.
    “Everything got shoved into two days with five inning games and 90-minute time limits,” Peterson said.
    Over Saturday and Sunday Imperial lost to Alliance 4-7, Fort Morgan, Colorado 4-8 and Yuma, Colorado 3-7, but took a win over Sidney 20-10.
    One inning cost the Horns against Alliance.
    Alliance hit three singles and scored one run to lead off the game. Imperial matched that run with four walks.
    Imperial fell behind 1-6 in the second inning. Alliance had four singles in the inning.
    The deficit was too much for the Horns to overcome. Both teams left goose eggs on the board in the third inning. After Alliance scored one run to start the fourth inning, Imperial rallied with two outs to score three runs behind five hits.
    With inning and time limits in place, the Horns took the loss.
    Evan O’Neil had two hits for Imperial. Vogt pitched for the Horns.
    Imperial fell behind early against Yuma Sunday.
    A double play by the Horns limited the damage in the first inning. Trailing 0-2, Imperial cut its deficit to 1-2 behind a double from Moreno and single by O’Neil.
    Imperial fell farther behind in the second inning after Yuma scored three runs with two outs.
    The Horns gave up one run in each the third and fifth innings and added two of its own in the fourth.
    O’Neil and Conner Stromberger were both hit by pitches and advanced to third and second, respectively, on a wild pitch. O’Neil scored on a pass ball and Stromberger on a Noah Rau single.
    Tristan Jablonski pitched a complete game for Imperial.
    No stats were available for the Fort Morgan or Sidney games.
    Finishing the weekend with a 1-4 record, Peterson said they definitely could have played better.
Up next
    The Juniors Area 7 tournament will be played at Hershey and Sutherland beginning Friday.
    Imperial took the No. 1 seed with its 13-5 record. Hershland is second, Valentine third and Sheridan County is the fourth seed.
    The Horns will play Sheridan County at 4 p.m. CT in Hershey. Valentine and Hershland will play at 7 p.m. Two games will be played Saturday, a losers bracket game Sunday and the championship series Monday.
    Aside from Wednesday’s doubleheader with Colby, the Seniors have a longer break.
    Tysen Lempke, Cooper Dillan and Colin O’Neil have been selected to play in the Senior League All-Star Game in Kearney on July 13.
    Peterson will be a coach for the game with coaches from Ogallala and Broken Bow, as selected based on the 2022 league standings.
    The Seniors Area 7 district will be at Valentine with Atkinson, Bridgeport, Sheridan County, Hershland and PWG.