Members of the Tri-County All-Star Pee Wee team included, front row from left, Grant’s Triston Hite, Ogallala’s Corbin Murphey, Ogallala’s Jace Richter, Grant’s Conner Wells, Wallace’s Matt Lungrin, Imperial’s Tysen Lempke, back from left, Coach Jeff Lempke, Ryan Bernhardt of Imperial, Emmitt Zuege of Imperial, Wallace’s Kyler Cox and Colton Hager, Ogallala’s Ayden Halligan, Hershland’s Conner Hogan and Coach Ryan Baker. (Courtesy photo)
Pee Wee All-Star team faces McCook in double-header
There were runs aplenty on Sunday, as an all-star team made up of Pee Wee baseball players from the Tri-County League defeated McCook in a pair of games in Imperial.
In the opener, McCook took the lead in the first inning, scoring two runs and then held the all-stars scoreless in their half of the first.
The offense picked up for Tri-County in the second inning, however, as they took a 5-2 lead.
Ogallala’s Corbin Murphey and Ayden Halligan led off with back-to-back doubles. Wallace’s Colton Hager reached base on a walk, then Grant’s Conner Wells drove in Tri-County’s first run. After another walk and a single, Imperial’s Emmitt Zuege and Tysen Lempke both singled driving in runs.
McCook tied the game in the third after scoring three runs. In Tri-County’s at-bat, Halligan and Imperial’s Ryan Bernhardt started off the bottom of third with a singles. Halligan scored on a passed ball then Grant’s Triston Hite singled, scoring Bernhardt.
McCook added one more run in the fourth. Zuege led off for Tri-County the bottom of the inning with a double then scored on a error to go up, 8-6, the game’s final score.
Wallace’s Hager closed the game out for Tri-County on the mound with three strikeouts to earn the save. Grant’s Hite picked up the win, pitching two innings, while giving up two runs on two hits and striking out three.
Ogallala’s Jace Richter and Imperial’s Lempke pitched an inning apiece and, combined, gave up four runs on two hits and one strikeout
In all, Tri-County collected 10 hits in the opener, led by Hite, Halligan and Zuege with two hits each. Murphey, Lempke, Bernhardt and Wells all had one hit
In game two, Tri-County blanked McCook, 22-0, as McCook struggled with enough pitching. Tri-County finished with 17 hits in the nightcap.
Murphey pitched three perfect innings, striking out seven of the nine batters he faced.
Tri-County All-Star Coach Jeff Lempke expressed thanks to McCook Coach Greg Larson for bringing his team to Imperial to make the Tri-County All-Star event happen.
Coach Lempke said it was awesome getting 12 youths from the league together and watch them play as a team on one squad.