Seniors look to bounce back from rough week

    Whether at home or on the road, the Imperial Pinnacle Bank Senior Legion team had its work cut out for it last week.
    The Horns had their chances early in the game at Ogallala Thursday.
    Imperial stranded runners on second and third in the top of the first inning. Ogallala made the Horns pay, getting four batters on base and scoring two runs.
    After a scoreless second inning, Imperial cut its deficit in half in the third inning. Keenan Cole singled and advanced on a walk by Jaret Peterson, then scored from second on a single by Nolan Burrell.
    Ogallala matched Imperial’s output. Three batters reached base and one scored to leave the Horns trailing by two runs, 1-3.
    Imperial struggled to find offensive traction over the final three innings. Colin O’Neil singled in the fourth inning and Peterson doubled in the fifth inning, but the Horns couldn’t find ways to bring them home.
    Ogallala tallied seven hits and three walks over the game’s final three innings. Ogallala closed out the game with a four-run sixth inning to send Imperial home with a 1-9 loss.
    O’Neil pitched 1.2 innings, striking out four, walking one and giving up three hits. Burrell came on for two innings and gave up five hits while walking two batters. Emmitt Zuege pitched the last two innings. Zuege struck out two, walked three and allowed four hits.
    Broken Bow came to Imperial Saturday.
    After a fly out to start the game, Broken Bow turned back-to-back walks into runs on a triple. The single that followed drove home another run that buried the Horns in a 0-3 hole.
     Base runners were tough to come by for Imperial. Burrell and Thomas Reeves were stranded in the second and third innings, respectively.
    After Broken Bow tacked on another run in the fourth inning thanks to a double, single and sacrifice fly, the Horns stranded Mason Wallin in the fourth inning.
    Back-to-back Broken Bow singles followed by a sacrifice fly drove home the final run of the game and was a 0-5 deficit the Horns couldn’t overcome.
    O’Neil pitched a complete seven-inning game. O’Neil allowed eight hits, struck out four and walked two.
    Imperial batters struck out 14 times and only managed Burrell’s second inning single.
    The Horns finished its May 29 game with Holdrege on Sunday before the team’s regularly scheduled game.
    Imperial led 8-7 after scoring six runs in the second inning and responding to seven fourth inning runs by Holdrege with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
    Holdrege scored one in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 8-8 before the game was halted.
    Sunday, Holdrege picked up where it left off in May and tacked on another four runs in the fifth inning. Tysen Lempke doubled and scored for the Horns, but Imperial left two base runners stranded.
    As Imperial pitchers settled in, Holdrege was held scoreless over the game’s final two innings. The damage was done, however. Gavin Wisnieski and Mason Wallin scored for Imperial in the sixth inning to bring Imperial within one run, 11-12.
    The Horns had runners on second and third in the seventh inning, but left both runners stranded to end the game.
    Imperial used four pitchers over the course of the two nights. O’Neil, Morel Jurado, Burrell and Wisnieski combined to allow eight hits, while walking nine and striking out two.
    The Horns took out their frustration on Holdrege in the following game. Between a walk, a batter hit by a pitch and four Holdrege errors, Imperial scored four runs in the top of the first inning.
    After holding Holdrege scoreless in the top of the first inning, each of Imperial first five batters of the second inning put the ball in play with Bryder Hickey, Cole, Peterson and Burrell earning singles. After three runs scored, a single by O’Neil brought home two more runs and increased Imperial’s lead to 9-0.
    The Horns’ bats continued to put the ball in play in the third inning as Imperial tacked on another three runs.
    Imperial’s defense stayed strong, retiring nine of the first 10 batters it faced.
    Imperial increased its lead to 13-0 in the top of the fourth inning before Holdrege was able to score after the Horns had two errors.
    A double by Burrell and single by Wisnieski set them up to score Imperial’s final two runs of the game in the fifth inning.
    Burrell and Zuege set Holdrege down in order to wrap up the 15-2 win.
    Imperial pounded out 10 hits to five by Holdrege. Burrell struck out six and allowed no walks.
    Courtesy runners Tristan Jablonski and Camron Lempke scored seven runs for the Horns. Wallin and O’Neil each had two RBIs.
Up next
    Imperial will take on Ogallala Wednesday in a junior-senior doubleheader.
    Saturday the Horns will head to Lexington for a seniors-only doubleheader.  
    Imperial will get another chance at Broken Bow Monday with a junior-senior doubleheader at Broken Bow.