Royals Sweep Doubleheader, Claim Series Win Over Bethel

KNOXVILLE, TN— The Royals completed a doubleheader sweep and secured the non-conference series victory over the Bethel Wildcats on Saturday at Russell Morgan Field, winning game one 11–2 before taking the nightcap 3–0.

The Royals received strong performances throughout the lineup and dominant outings from their starting pitchers as Johnson controlled both games of the twin bill.

Head coach Dave Serrano praised the overall team effort after the sweep.

"Any time you can win a doubleheader, those are always tough to sweep," Serrano said. "You're always happy. I thought our guys came out and played well. We had some individuals that had some good days."

Game One – Johnson 11, Bethel 2

The Royals jumped on the Wildcats early in the opener, scoring three runs in the first inning to take immediate control. Travis Hobbensiefken delivered a two-run double down the left field line before Jesse Rojas added an RBI walk later in the frame to make it 3–0.

Johnson continued to build the lead in the second inning when Hobbensiefken struck again with another RBI double to score JJ Menesini.

Bethel pushed across two runs in the fourth inning, but the Royals responded with two more runs in the sixth to extend the advantage to 6–2.

The game broke open in the eighth inning as Johnson plated five runs, highlighted by another bases-clearing double from Hobbensiefken that pushed the lead to seven runs. The Royals finished the game with 12 hits and drew nine walks in the victory.

Hobbensiefken led the offense with three hits and six RBIs, while Luke Wilson recorded two hits and scored twice. Rojas added two hits and two RBIs, and Grayson Shehan drove in a run.

On the mound, Colby Reynolds delivered another strong start for Johnson, pitching eight innings while allowing two runs and striking out ten. Bodey Yates closed out the final inning to secure the win.

Serrano highlighted Hobbensiefken's big day at the plate as one of the offensive standouts.

"Travis had a big day at the plate with six RBIs total in game one," Serrano said. "Luke Wilson also had a good day doing what he does — getting on base and creating havoc. When him and J.J. get on base, it causes problems for the other team."

Game Two – Johnson 3, Bethel 0

The Royals completed the sweep behind a dominant pitching performance and clean defense in the second game of the day.

Johnson scored twice in the first inning when Hobbensiefken drove in JJ Menesini with an RBI single before Mitchell Birdsall followed with an RBI double to make it 2–0.

The Royals added another run in the second inning when Menesini drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 3–0.

That was more than enough support for Tyler Barfield, who was outstanding on the mound. Barfield tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering four hits while striking out five without issuing a walk.

Johnson's defense backed up the pitching staff throughout both games, something Serrano emphasized after the doubleheader.

"For me, the best part is we played two games in very windy conditions and didn't make an error," Serrano said. "Any time our team can go out and not make mistakes on defense with the kind of offense we run and the arms we have throwing strikes, it's going to be tough to beat us."

Serrano also credited the Royals' starting pitching for setting the tone across the doubleheader.

"You can't look past the starting pitching," Serrano said. "What Colby Reynolds and Tyler Barfield did just sets the tone for the day. Starting pitching sets the tone for the whole team and allows the offense to settle in and score runs."

With the sweep, the Royals continue to build momentum as the season progresses, combining timely offense, strong starting pitching, and solid defense throughout the series.

"It was just an overall good effort by many people and the whole team," Serrano said.

The Royals will welcome the Wildcats back tomorrow to close out the series at 1pm EST.