Imperial Seniors are one win from Class C state tourney

VALENTINE, Neb. — Mason Wallin pitched a two-hitter and the Imperial Seniors blanked Hershland, 8-0, Monday evening to reach their C-7 area title game.

Imperial (14-6 record overall) blitzed through four opponents overall into today’s title game against PWG.

The Horns already own a win over PWG, 8-6, Saturday evening.

On Monday, the Pinnacle Bank Horns coasted behind 10 walks along with a couple of clutch hits.

Gavin Wisnieski batted in two runs while Thomas Reeves drove home another.

Tysen Lempke, Carson Lempke, Cooper Dillan, George Colton, Carter Leibbrandt and Reeves all scored runs.

Wallin doubled and singled for two of the three Imperial hits.

He allowed just two Hershland hits, walked four and struck out six.

Imperial entered the C-7 area as a No. 2 seed behind Atkinson, who went 0-2 in these playoffs.

The 4-0 Imperial run featured a 3-0 blanking of Bridgeport Bombers, 8-6 over No. 3 Palmer-Wolbach-Greeley and 11-3 vs. Hershland.

Dillon, Wallin and Leibbrandt each pitched 2 1/3 innings during that win over Bridgeport Friday afternoon.

They teamed on eight strikeouts with Wallin four and Dillan three.

Dillan and Wallin also both doubled to drive in key Imperial runs.

The 8-6 win over PWG has clearly been Imperial’s most challenging of these playoffs.

They trailed 6-2 until plating six unanswered runs featuring Carter Terryberry’s grand slam home run.

Jaret Peterson belted two hits and Braxton Moreno scored two.

Carson Lempke hurled 3 2/3 shutout innings of relief, scattering four hits.

Peterson and C. Lempke both went three-for-three, batting in four runs during that 11-3 beatdown of Hershland.