Royals Secure AAC Series Win with Game 3 Victory Over Columbia International

COLUMBIA, S.C.– The

Royals bounced back from a Game 2 loss to take the rubber match against Columbia International (CIU) 7-5, securing another key AAC series win on Saturday.

Head coach Dave Serrano emphasized the significance of the road series win. "Any time you win a conference series on the road, it's big. Overall, as a team, we did what we had to do. We did some things that were slightly out of character for us. Both Nolan Cusey and Cade Liefer had good days offensively in Game 3 of the series. I was pleased with the starts we got out of Mason Schmidt, who was a last-minute replacement for Nathan Hoffman, and Eli Garrett, who started Game 3. It was another good week for this team to go 3-1 while playing all games on the road."

Game 2 Recap: CIU 2, Johnson 1

Game 2 was a low-scoring pitchers' duel, with CIU edging out Johnson in the late innings. The Royals jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning but were held scoreless the rest of the way.

• Travis Hobbensiefken drove in Johnson's only run with an RBI groundout.

• Brayden Taylor had a double and a stolen base.

• Mason Schmidt was outstanding on the mound, throwing five shutout innings, allowing just three hits.

• Elijah Dew took the loss despite a solid relief outing, allowing just two runs over three innings.

CIU took the lead in the eighth with a two-run homer from Bradley Garland, proving to be the difference in the game.

Game 3 Recap: Johnson 7, CIU 5

With the series on the line, the Royals delivered in Game 3, using a three-run fifth inning to take control and holding off a late CIU push.

• Nolan Cusey led the offense, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.

• Cade Liefer drove in two key runs while going 2-for-2 with a double.

• Luke Wilson, Bryson Shown, and Brayden Taylor each recorded an RBI.

• The Royals stole seven bases, led by Wilson (2) and Taylor (2).

On the mound, Eli Garrett picked up the win, throwing five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts.

• James Showalter worked through trouble in relief, allowing four runs (three earned) over 1.1 innings.

• Kaleb Townsend came in to shut the door, recording the final two outs to earn his second save of the season.

Looking Ahead

With the series win, the Royals (now 9-3 in AAC play) continue to build momentum as they move deeper into conference action. The team will look to clean up late-game execution while carrying their offensive and pitching strengths forward.

For schedule updates and more, visit JohnsonRoyals.com.