Royals Extend Winning Streak with 14–4 Win Over RV Cumberland

KNOXVILLE, TN— The Royals continued their strong start to the season Tuesday afternoon, defeating the RV Cumberland Phoenix 14–4 at Russell Morgan Field. The win pushes Johnson to 17–1 overall and extends the team's winning streak to 14 games.

Cumberland struck first in the second inning on a solo home run, but the Royals quickly responded with a big inning of their own. Johnson took advantage of several opportunities provided by the Phoenix, stringing together quality at-bats and capitalizing on defensive miscues to score six runs in the bottom of the second. A three-RBI single from Jaden Rez highlighted the rally and gave the Royals a 6–1 advantage.

Head coach Dave Serrano was pleased with how his team approached those moments at the plate.

"I thought we played a good baseball game," Serrano said. "We took advantage of opportunities that Cumberland gave us throughout the game. We had some good approaches at the plate and drove in some runs when guys were on base and in scoring position."

The Phoenix answered with three runs in the third to cut the deficit to 6–4, but the momentum quickly shifted back to the Royals. With two outs in the inning, Bodey Yates entered in relief and immediately settled the game down on the mound.

Serrano pointed to that pitching change as a turning point. "When Bodey Yates came in with two outs in the third inning to relieve Hosman, I thought the momentum of the game changed," Serrano said. "He just filled up the zone with strikes and really picked up the tempo of the game. I feel like we play better when the tempo stays at that pace."

Yates delivered a dominant outing out of the bullpen, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings while striking out five and allowing just two hits. Hunter Stewart followed with a scoreless seventh inning to close out the victory.

Johnson's offense continued to build on its early lead as the game progressed. The Royals plated two runs in the third, two more in the fourth, and added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh to pull away for the 14–4 win.

The Royals finished with nine hits, 11 RBIs, and 10 walks as they consistently pressured Cumberland pitching. Rez led the way with three RBIs, while Christian Altamirano recorded two hits, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Jesse Rojas added a pair of RBIs, and Grayson Shehan reached base multiple times and drove in a run. Edwin Olmeda Jr. provided a spark on the bases, scoring three runs.

Through the early part of the season, Serrano says the team's ability to consistently find ways to win has stood out, even when the games haven't always been perfect.

"These guys have done a great job of sustaining success," Serrano said. "It always hasn't been pretty, but we're finding ways to win and building a pretty good resume. I'm really happy with today's game and proud of our guys."

Johnson will continue a busy week ahead as the Royals look to keep their winning streak alive while continuing to build depth throughout the roster.