Royals Secure Series Win with 9-7 Victory Over Union Commonwealth

KNOXVILLE, TN– The Royals capped off their series against Union Commonwealth with a hard-fought 9-7 victory on Sunday afternoon, securing an important conference series win. Despite some defensive miscues that kept the game closer than expected, the Royals' offensive firepower and steady pitching proved to be the difference.

Head coach Dave Serrano acknowledged both the positives and areas for improvement following the win. "Good series win by our team. We made it closer than we wanted to. We used some guys that, when the score was seven to two, I thought I'd get away with not having to use Borst and Showalter in this situation. But we have to win conference games, and that's the most important thing. Winning a series is most important. We still have to keep working on things. We're making some miscues on defense that are allowing extra 90 feet, and we've got to get back to that. There's a lot of good things going on—we've pitched well, been good on offense, stealing a lot of bases—but we've got to get better defensively, and that's going to be the key for us to sustain success."

Game Recap

The Royals trailed early after Union Commonwealth plated two runs in the second inning, but they quickly responded with a four-run third and a three-run fourth to take control of the game.

• Braden Frank led the offensive charge, blasting a home run and driving in three runs.

• Austin Menesini had a big day at the plate, collecting three hits and two RBIs.

• Mitsuki Kohno added a triple and an RBI, continuing his strong play.

• Travis Hobbensiefken tallied three hits, contributing to the Royals' ten-hit performance.

On the mound, Eli Garrett picked up the win, pitching four innings and striking out five while allowing four earned runs. Garrett Borst provided stability out of the bullpen with four solid innings of relief, and James Showalter closed it out in the ninth to earn the save.

Looking Ahead

With the series win, the Royals continue to position themselves as a competitive force in conference play. As they work on tightening up their defense, their ability to generate offense and strong pitching performances remain bright spots.

For more updates and upcoming games, visit JohnsonRoyals.com.