Royals Make History with First-Ever AAC Tournament Victory, Blank Montreat 8–0

KINGSPORT, TN- The Royals opened AAC Tournament play with a statement, shutting out Montreat College 8–0 behind a relentless offensive attack and dominant pitching from Colby Reynolds and Nathan Hoffman. The win marks the program's first-ever victory in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament, a milestone moment in Johnson baseball history.

Head coach Dave Serrano couldn't have been more proud of his team's performance.

"I don't think I could've scripted it up any better to get the program's first AAC tournament victory in school history," Serrano said. "An offense that stayed in attack mode all night, led by Travis Hobbensiefken's HR in the 1st inning, a great pitching performance by starter Colby Reynolds and reliever Nathan Hoffman, and superb defense behind them."

The Royals wasted no time setting the tone. Travis Hobbensiefken launched a home run in the bottom of the first inning, sparking a 3-run frame that put Johnson in control early. They added two more runs in the second, then continued to apply pressure with scores in the fourth and sixth innings.

Cade Liefer powered the lineup, going 4-for-5 with a double and a triple, while Bryson Shown added three RBIs as part of a 2-hit night. Luke Wilson, Nolan Cusey, Braden Frank, and Isaac Lawson each contributed to the 14-hit offensive outburst.

On the mound, Colby Reynolds improved to 12–2, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out three. Nathan Hoffman closed it out, fanning two over the final two innings and preserving the combined shutout.

Johnson's defense also rose to the occasion, committing just one error while turning in several timely plays to back their pitchers.

With the win, the Royals improve to 34–14 overall and advance to the next round of the AAC Tournament with momentum and confidence on their side. They will play again on Thursday when they face the winner of Tennessee-Wesleyan and Bryan College.