Imperial trounces through Tri County, Pender at 'C' state

State tournament life is looking up for the Imperial Horns after these Juniors reached 25-3 with their second Class C state tournament win at Creighton on Monday. The Horns play a winner‘s bracket game tonight against Malcolm starting at 8 p.m.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

CREIGHTON, Neb. — They started Class C state with a seven-run first and scored seven times during Monday’s final three innings.

It’s all added up to two big Imperial wins entering tonight’s huge winner’s bracket Legion baseball game with Malcolm.

If the Horns (25-3 record overall) triumph tonight, they’ll be just one victory from a Class C state finals spot on Thursday.

First pitch for Imperial vs. Malcolm tonight is scheduled at 8 p. m.

Thomas Reeves’ four-for-four hitting fueled the 9-5 victory over Pender on Monday.

Reeves scored three times while No. 3 hitter Jaret Peterson singled, doubled and drove home a team-high four RBI.

Carson Lempke drove in two more runs and scored twice. The Horns stretched their lead from 4-2 to 9-2 and finished strong despite a three-run Pender seventh.

Cooper Dillan pitched 6 1/3 innings for the win, allowing just two earned runs and striking out six.

Dillan and Mason Wallin delivered two more timely RBIs for Imperial.

Malcolm Post 354 will take a 21-1 record into tonight’s showdown of unbeaten state tourney teams.

The Clippers drubbed DCB, 10-2, on Monday following a 5-0 opening state shutout win over Wakefield on Saturday.

Maddox Meyer delivered three RBIs Monday for Malcolm while Hayden Frank and Carson Frank drove in two runs each.

Imperial would love to match or surpass its 7-0 opening at-bat against first state foe Tri County on Saturday.

Reeves ripped a double during his three-RBI effort and Wyatt Mendenhall sent home three more Imperial teammates.

Jaret Peterson also plated a teammate before his double against Pender on Monday.

Dillan singled twice vs. Tri County, scoring two runs and knocking in two more teammates.

Wallin scored three runs.

Peterson pitched 3 1/3 innings to earn this victory. He struck out three and did not allow one earned Tri County run.

Tristan Jablonski and Lempke also worked on the mound.

Pender and Wakefield play today’s state elimination game followed by DCB vs. PWG at 5 p.m.