Royals Take Series Over #2 Tennessee Wesleyan With Gritty Game 3 Win

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Royals secured one of the biggest series wins in program history, taking two of three games from #2 Tennessee Wesleyan in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. After dropping Game 2 in a high-scoring battle, the Royals bounced back in Game 3 with an 11-8 victory, capping off a statement-making weekend.

Head coach Dave Serrano couldn't contain his pride in his team's performance. "I don't know if I have words to describe how proud I am of this team. And I know we're only 20 games into our season, and we have a lot of baseball out in front of us. But I think this week was a turning point for this program. We played two nationally ranked teams. We got punched quite a few times, and we didn't cave in at all."

Game 2 Recap: Tennessee Wesleyan 13, Johnson 8

Tennessee Wesleyan came out swinging in Game 2, using a five-run seventh inning to pull away for the win. The Royals made multiple comeback attempts, but the Bulldogs' offense proved too much.

• Luke Wilson had a monster game, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored.

• Bryson Shown launched a solo home run in the fourth inning.

• Alonzo Zuniga provided two RBIs with a key double.

• Braden Frank and Travis Hobbensiefken each drove in a run.

Despite the loss, the Royals remained resilient heading into the series finale.

Game 3 Recap: Johnson 11, Tennessee Wesleyan 8

Facing adversity early after Tennessee Wesleyan plated six first-inning runs, Johnson refused to back down. The Royals chipped away at the lead before taking control with a three-run fifth inning.

• Nolan Cusey delivered in the clutch, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, including two doubles.

• Bryson Shown added a solo home run to fuel the offense.

• Luke Wilson stayed hot, finishing with three hits, an RBI, and three runs scored.

• Travis Hobbensiefken, Braden Frank, Brayden Taylor, and Austin Menesini each contributed an RBI.

On the mound, Mason Schmidt was the difference-maker. Entering in relief in the second inning, he steadied the Royals with 4.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits while striking out four.

Outfielder Bryson Shown emphasized what the win meant to the team. "This was a great win for the program. Started the week off good, getting a big win, and we just started building off of that the rest of the week. We were fired up from the get-go and just came ready to win some ball games. This was huge for the program."

Looking Ahead

With this series victory, Johnson (now 7-2 in AAC play) has firmly established itself as a contender in the conference. Coach Serrano believes this weekend could be a defining moment. "The fight that we continue to show every time they got a lead and we tied the game and they took the lead back, it's something that I hope we can bottle for the rest of the year and build off of."

The Royals will look to carry this momentum into the remaining games this season.

For updates and schedule details, visit JohnsonRoyals.com.