Royals Drop Pitcher's Duel in Series Opener to No. 3 Reinhardt

KNOXVILLE, TN– In a tightly contested series opener at Russell Morgan Field, the Royals fell 1-0 to the No. 3-ranked Reinhardt Eagles on Friday afternoon. Despite an outstanding start from Colby Reynolds on the mound, the Royals were unable to generate enough offense, falling to 25-9 on the season and 14-5 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play.

The game was a classic pitchers' duel from start to finish. Reynolds turned in a stellar complete-game effort for the Royals, allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out seven over nine innings. The junior right-hander kept the high-powered Eagles offense in check all evening, holding them scoreless through eight innings.

Unfortunately for Johnson, Reinhardt's Andrew Herbert was equally dominant. Herbert fanned 12 Royals over 8.1 shutout innings, scattering three hits before turning the ball over to Brett Allen for the final two outs and the save.

The game's only run came in the top of the ninth when Reinhardt's Adrian Vargas drove in Nash Crowell with an RBI sacrafice bunt. Johnson had their chances, but they left six runners stranded and couldn't break through against the Eagles' pitching staff.

Offensively, Luke Wilson, Brayden Taylor, and Edwin Olmeda Jr. each recorded a hit for Johnson. Nolan Cusey added a walk and reached base twice, while Travis Hobbensiefken swiped a base in the fourth.

Despite the loss, head coach Dave Serrano remained encouraged by the effort and the progress of the program.

"Good baseball game. Really good baseball team," Serrano said. "Well-pitched game by both teams. You know, tip your hat to their guy, tip your hat to Colby Reynolds. He was on it today and shut down a good team till late in the game, and had a great performance.

Disappointing not to win that game—they did a little bit more—but as Coach Graves said to the guys, a couple of years ago we didn't feel the sting that we feel after today because the program wasn't where it is now. We can look across the field and know we're just as good as those guys."

The loss drops the Royals to second in the AAC standings, but they'll have a chance to bounce back quickly. Johnson and Reinhardt return to action Saturday for a doubleheader with major conference implications. First pitch for game two of the series is set for 12:00 p.m. in Knoxville.