Seniors win two, juniors split games to open season

The Imperial Legion juniors and seniors started their seasons off with a bang, combining to go 3-1 their first four games.
Seniors score 12, 13 runs
    The Imperial seniors never trailed in the season-opening game at Cozad.
    Leadoff hitter Tysen Lempke started the game with a single and came around to score on a double by Trevor Peterson.
    Back-to-back strike outs left T. Peterson stranded on second.
    Pitcher Nolan Burrell allowed one base runner in the first inning, but matched it with a strike out to hold Cozad scoreless.
    All three Imperial batters put the ball in play during the second inning, but two fly outs and a ground out kept runners off the base paths.
    After a Cozad single to lead off the bottom of the inning, Burrell retired the next three batters with strike outs and a ground out.
    Both teams were scoreless in the third inning.
    The fourth, however, was a different story. Cozad’s leadoff batter walked and scored on a single. A fielder’s choice ended the inning with a Reds’ runner on third.
    Tied at 1, neither team scored in the fifth inning.
    Imperial took control in the sixth.
    Four walks and two singles brought home six runs for the seniors. Imperial’s cause was helped by five stolen bases in the inning.
     A scoreless bottom half of the inning by Cozad gave Imperial a comfortable 7-1 lead heading into the seventh.
    Both teams plated five runs in the final inning.
    Bryder Hickey and Morel Jurado were both hit by pitches to start the seventh.
    After a sacrifice fly by Jaret Peterson scored the pair, Colin O’Neil and Bennett Bauerle both walked and stole bases before scoring on an error and wild pitch, respectively.
    T. Peterson was also able to score in the inning.
    Two singles opened the bottom of the seventh for Cozad. After a strike out, three consecutive walks kept the game interesting, allowing five funs to cross the plate before a strikeout gave Imperial two outs.
    A single and two walks loaded the bases once more before a strikeout ended the threat and gave Imperial a 12-6 win.
    Imperial had five hits to Cozad’s seven, but four Reds’ errors cost Cozad.
    Burrell struck out seven and walked three while giving up six hits in 6 1/3 innings’ work.
    With Sunday’s Holdrege game postponed due to rain, Imperial’s second game of the season was Monday against Lexington.
    Despite three strike outs by Dominic Sis, Lexington’s lead off runner scored to start the game.
    Imperial took time to catch on to Lexington pitching, but the offense caught fire in the third inning.
    Two singles by Lempke and Bauerle set up a three run T. Peterson home run to give Imperial the lead.
    Imperial had runners on second and third before strikeouts ended the inning.
    A leadoff double set Lexington up to score one run in the fourth inning.
    Balks by the Lexington  pitcher kept base runners moving and allowed Imperial to score three in the bottom of the fourth inning.
    Both teams were scoreless in the fifth inning and Imperial’s defense kept two walks from hurting on the scoreboard in the sixth.
    Imperial went to work in the bottom of the sixth. A Bauerle double brought home Carter Leibbrandt after he’d been hit by a pitch. Bauerle was also able to cross the plate for run number eight.
    One run by Cozad in the top of the seventh didn’t hurt the Horns in the 8-3 win.
    Sis struck out 10 in the game and gave up three hits and five walks.
Juniors 1-1
    The juniors opened their season with a 13-1 win at Cozad Saturday.
    Imperial didn’t waste any time starting the game.
    Lempke, Cooper Dillan and Jaret Peterson each received walks in the top of the first.
    Lempke stole second, then moved to third on a passed ball, before scoring on a wild pitch.
    Dillan advanced to second after defensive interference and advanced to third on the wild pitch.
    J. Peterson advanced to second on the wild pitch.
    After Leibbrandt walked to load the bases, all three runners scored on a double by C. O’Neil.
    Another wild pitch moved C. O’Neil to third and he scored off a single by Tyler O’Neil.
    Imperial held Cozad scoreless in the bottom of the inning with the Reds stranding one runner.
    Lempke found a variety of ways to score again in the second inning. Lempke walked, then advanced to second on defensive interference. As in the first inning, a passed ball and wild pitch brought Lempke home.
    Peterson followed Lempke around the bases and scored on a single from Leibbrandt.
    Cozad stranded a runner once more in the bottom of the second inning, leaving Imperial leading 7-0 heading into the third.
    C. O’Neil and T. O’Neil led off the inning with doubles and both went on to score.
    Lempke reached base by walking for the third time in the games and moved on to second base by a balk before scoring on a double by Dillan, who scored on a single by J. Peterson.
    Though two reached base for the Reds in the bottom of the third, Dillan kept Cozad scoreless with a strike out to end the inning.
    Imperial hit four singles in the fourth inning to score Tristan Jablonski and Thomas Reeves.
    Cozad was able to score one in the bottom of the fourth, before both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning of the Imperial win.
    C. O’Neil was 3-3 in the game with four RBIs.
    T. O’Neil was 2-2 with two RBIs.
    C. O’Neil, Dillan and Camron Lempke shared pitching duties.
    After Sunday’s games against Holdrege were rained out, Imperial hosted Lexington Juniors Monday.
    Both teams went three up, three down in the first inning and both wasted bases loaded opportunities in the second inning.
    Defense dominated the game until the fifth inning when Lexington plated a run after two singles and a wild pitch.
    Imperial threatened in the sixth inning.
    T. O’Neil advance to first on a dropped third strike. After stealing second and third, O’Neil was left stranded on third.
    Imperial errors led to a second Lexington run in the seventh inning.
    Needing two runs to keep the game alive, Mason Wallin started off Imperial’s half of the inning with a walk. Wallin stole second and scored on an error.
    Leibbrandt, the game’s tying run, was left stranded on second in the 1-2 loss.
    J. Peterson and Wallin had Imperial’s only hits.
    J. Peterson allowed six hits and two walks, while striking out four for Imperial.
Up next
    The juniors and seniors hosted Hershland Tuesday.
    The juniors will stay busy with the Bandit Junior Bash in Overton Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
    Imperial will be on the road next week with junior and senior games Monday at Sidney followed by a Tuesday game at Hershland.