Cancellations wreck end of Legion’s regular season

    The Imperial Pinnacle Bank Junior and Senior Legion teams didn’t know they were stepping on to the field for the final regular season games June 28, but they couldn’t have done much more to give their home fans dramatic wins over Hershland.
    The juniors claimed a dominant win to start the evening, holding the Trojans scoreless and hitless for the first four innings.
    At the plate, Thomas Reeves walked to lead off the bottom of the first and scored on a single by Camron Lempke. Lempke scored as well on an RBI grounder by Mason Wallin.
    The Horns were able to get runners on base in the second and third innings, but could not bring anyone home.
    That changed in the fourth inning. Tristan Jablonski reached base on an error to start the inning. The floodgates opened from there. Tyler O’Neil doubled, Reeves singled and, following a Lempke base on balls, Jaret Peterson doubled. In all, four runs scored to give the Horns a 6-0 lead.
    A homer by Hershland with two runners on cut Imperial’s lead in half to start the fifth inning.
    Jet Peterson singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and moved to third on back-to-back stolen bases before scoring on a Reeves’ single. Walks by Cristobal Tarango and Lempke loaded the bases for Jaret Peterson. One pitch was all Jaret Peterson needed to end the game by run rule with a grand slam.
    Jablonski pitched five innings of the 11-3 win. Between Jablonski and Reeves, Hershland had one hit, eight walks and struck out five times.
    Horns’ fans had plenty to cheer about in the seniors’ win over the Trojans, but were on the edge of their seats at the end.
    After opening the game with a scoreless top half of the inning, Imperial scored two runs as Jaret Peterson’s hot night at the plate continued. Tysen Lempke hit a double to lead off for the horns, then Jaret Peterson hit a two-run homer to give Imperial the lead.
    With Jaret Peterson back on the mound, Hershland had an answer in the second inning. The Trojans’ pitcher Harmon Johnsen fouled off four pitches before sending the ninth pitch of his at bat over the left field fence for a two-run homer.
    Imperial regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning when Bryder Hickey singled and came around to score.
    After retiring Hershland in order in the third inning, the Horns’ hot streak at the plate continued. Short stop Nolan Burrell hit a two-run homer to center field followed by Morel Jurado and Keenan Cole also reaching base and scoring.
    The Trojans took a chunk out of Imperial’s 7-2 lead in the fourth inning. With three-straight walks and a Horns’ error, Hershland scored three runs. Imperial continued to put the ball in play. Reeves singled and Jurado doubled while Burrell reached base on a Trojan error. Behind Reeves and Burrell’s runs, Imperial’s lead was 9-5 at the end of the fourth inning.
    The fifth and sixth innings were quiet offensively for both teams, before things got interesting in the seventh inning.
    Four of Hershland’s first five batters came around to score. With runners on second and third, C. Lempke stepped onto the mound and, after allowing one run on a ground out, struck out the Trojans’ final batter.
    Tied at 9-9, the Horns went to work at the plate. Cole and C. Lempke were both hit by pitches. With the pair on first and second, Wallin entered the game and singled thanks to a head first slide into first base that just beat the throw.
    Cooper Dillan walked to earn an RBI and bring home the game’s winning run.
    Each team finished with seven hits and five errors.
    Jaret Peterson, Emmitt Zuege and C. Lempke struck out nine and walked six.
     The Horns were scheduled for a junior-senior doubleheader June 29 with Frontier County and a juniors’ doubleheader against Overton Saturday, but all games were canceled.
Districts in Imperial Friday
    The juniors earned the top seed in the C-7 District with an 19-3 mark.
    District games will be hosted by Imperial beginning Friday. Hershland is the second seed and will play Cambridge/Arapahoe at 1 p.m. Third seeded Gordon-Rushville will take on fourth seeded Bridgeport (3-22) at 4 p.m.
    Imperial will play unseeded Mitchell in its first round game at 7 p.m. Regardless of whether the Horns win or lose, Imperial will play at 7 p.m. Saturday.
    Games will continue daily until July 12.
    The seniors finish the season with an 11-5 record. The senior district tournament will begin July 22 at Gordon-Rushville.
    In the mean time, Tysen Lempke, Nolan Burrell and  Jaret Peterson have been selected to play for the West Division in the Mid-Nebraska League Senior All-Star Game to be played in Kearney July 14 at 7 p.m. CT. Based on last season’s league placing, Horns’ Head Coach Bruce Peterson will be one of the West coaches.