Legion teams split games at Cozad

    Imperial won one and lost one on the road July 7 to Cozad.
    The juniors opened the double-header with a convincing 17-4 win that ended after four innings.
    In the nightcap, the seniors from Imperial lost a heartbreaker, 6-5, when the winning run scored on a walk.
Junior game
    Imperial racked up 11 hits while holding Cozad to three in their one-sided 17-4 victory.
    Jaret Peterson was 3-4 at the plate, hitting two doubles and a single. Carter Leibbrandt finished 3-3, all singles.
    Also contributing on offense were Tristan Hite with a pair of singles, while Nolan Burrell, Hunter Garner and Bryder Hickey all singled.
    Imperial scored every inning, with their biggest coming in the fourth when nine runners crossed home.
    Pitching all four innings, Colin O’Neil took the win for Imperial with three strikeouts and six walks.
Senior game
    Imperial’s seniors lost a close one in a 6-5 contest at Cozad last week.
    Both teams had a strong start. After being held scoreless in the first, Imperial scored four runs in the second to go up one on Cozad, which had a three-run first inning.
    Cozad plated two in their half of the second, taking a 5-4 lead.
    But, Imperial tied things up in the fourth when Morel Jurado scored on a Tysen Lempke single. Jurado had reached on a double.
    Batting in the fifth, Cozad put the winning run across on a walk.
    Imperial was held scoreless in their last three at-bats, leaving four runners stranded.
    Lempke led the hitters with two singles. Jurado had the double, and singles were tallied by Burrell and Hite.
    Lincoln Waters took the loss for Imperial. He struck out three, walked seven and gave up five runs on eight hits. Jurado pitched an inning and a third from the bullpen.