Royals Drop Opening Round Game to Thomas, Set for Elimination Match Tuesday
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Johnson (TN)
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
|
Thomas
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | X | 3 | 7 | 2 |
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA– The Royals softball team opened their first-ever NAIA National Tournament appearance on Monday afternoon, falling 3-1 to Thomas University in the opening round of the Lawrenceville Bracket hosted by Georgia Gwinnett.
The Royals struck early, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Audrey Moorhouse reached base and eventually scored on a groundout RBI from Megan Armstrong. However, Johnson's offense struggled to find traction the rest of the game, tallying just five total hits and leaving multiple runners stranded.
Thomas responded with a run in the third to tie the game, then added two more in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good. Despite a strong effort from pitcher Lindy Webber—who allowed only two earned runs over 5.1 innings and struck out five—Johnson couldn't mount a late comeback.
Reese Burns led the Royals offensively with two hits, including a double, while Madisyn Thacker-Wolfe also added a double of her own.
With the loss, Johnson (29-14) falls into the elimination bracket and will face Evangel University on Tuesday at 12 p.m. EST in a must-win matchup to keep their historic postseason run alive.
The Royals will look to bounce back and extend their season one more day in what has already been a record-breaking year for the program.