Gladiators Split a Pair of Games Against Imperial, Win the Second in Walk-Off Fashion

On Wednesday, July 8th, 2026, the Cambridge/Arapahoe Gladiators Post 199hosted Imperial Post 304. They began the evening by resuming a game from earlier this season that got rained out in the 4th inning. Imperial won the game, 4-3.

Then they began the regularly scheduled game.

Imperial got things going in the top of the first inning, as K. Vogt hit a home run to left-center field, and it was 1-0. D. Oxford then reached on an error at first and G. Browning scored to make it 2-0 heading to the home half of the inning. Cambridge/Arapahoe couldn’t get anything going in their half of the inning.

Heading to the 2nd inning, it was 2-0. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Gladiators had their offense working. Brady Ahlemeyer got on base, and Hodge Raburn hit a double. Dylan Cornwell grounded into a double play, but a runner scored, and it was 2-1. And that score held going into the 3rd inning.

Neither team could muster any offense in their half of the 3rd inning, and heading to the 4th, it was still 2-1. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Gladiators threatened to score with a runner on second, but couldn’t get anything done. So we went to the 5th inning, and it was still 2-1 in favor of Imperial. Imperial was able to get a run in the top of the 6th on a throwing error from the catcher to third base, and it was 3-1. Imperial still had a pair of base runners at that point with one out. Billeter limited the damage, and heading into the bottom of the 6th, it was 3-1. The Gladiators couldn’t get much going in the bottom of the 6th, and we went to the final inning with the score at 3-1.

The Gladiators held Imperial in check and we went to the bottom of the 7th with Cambridge/Arapahoe down by two runs. Braydon Miller got on base, and then Micah Gerlach had a two-out double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Then Briggs Hill laced a double to right center and tied it up at 3-3. Hill was thrown out trying stretch the double to a triple. Great hustle from both teams on the play. Nonetheless, we were headed for extra innings.

Asher Gerlach came in for the Gladiators in the top of the 8th inning to pitch. Imperial scored on an error as T. Reeves scored off of the contact from Vogt. Imperial led 4-3 at that point. The damage was limited, and the Gladiators got out of the inning with a runner caught stealing, a fielder's choice, and a pop out. We went to the bottom of the 8th. The Gladiators had a pair of base runners with two outs. Dylan Cornwell smoked a liner to 3rd base, and Ahlemeyer scored, tying it up at 4-4. A pass ball moved runners to 2nd and 3rd.

Braydon Miller then walked and loaded the bases. Asher Gerlach was then walked, and a runner came in to give the Gladiators the win, 5-4.

Imperial had four runs, two hits, and one error. The Gladiators had five runs, two hits, and three errors.

On the mound for the Gladiators, Houston Billeter went 7.0 innings, tw hits, three runs, two earned runs, four walks, and 14 strikeouts. He was excellent. Asher Gerlach went 1.0 inning, no earned runs, and one walk.

For Imperial, Vogt went 5.0 innings, one hit, one earned run, five walks, and eight strikeouts. T. Jablonski went 2.2 innings, four hits, two earned runs, five walks, and three strikeouts.

At the plate, Micah Gerlach, Briggs Hill, Roy Hoelscher, Hodge Raburn, and Dylan Cornwell each had a hit. Hill had two RBI's and Cornwell had an RBI. For Imperial, Vogt was 1-4 with two RBI's.