Royals Explode Early, Defeat Milligan 14–3 in Midweek Win

KNOXVILLE, TN— The Royals used a massive early offensive outburst to power past Milligan 14–3 in a midweek non-conference matchup on Tuesday afternoon.

After a quiet first inning, the Royals broke the game wide open in the second, erupting for nine runs. Johnson capitalized on control issues from Milligan pitching, drawing multiple walks and taking advantage of hit-by-pitches to load the bases early in the inning.

Travis Hobbensiefken delivered the biggest swing of the day, launching a grand slam to center field to highlight the inning. Braden Frank followed with a two-run home run, and the Royals continued to pile on with disciplined at-bats to take a commanding 9–0 lead.

Johnson stayed aggressive in the third inning, adding three more runs behind a sacrifice fly from JJ Menesini and taking advantage of a balk and passed ball to extend the lead to 12–2. Austin Menesini capped the scoring in the fourth inning with a two-run home run, pushing the Royals to a 14–2 advantage.

Milligan managed to push across three runs, but the Royals' pitching staff kept the game under control throughout. Bodey Yates got the start and set the tone early before Brandon Bell delivered a key outing in relief, working 2.1 innings and allowing just one run while helping stabilize the middle innings. Rhys Thomas followed with a clean inning, and Logan Fiene closed out the game on the mound.

Despite finishing with just five hits, the Royals made the most of their opportunities by drawing nine walks and consistently putting pressure on Milligan's pitching staff. Hobbensiefken led the way with four RBIs, while Austin Menesini added three RBIs and Frank drove in two.

Following the game, head coach Dave Serrano acknowledged the win while also pointing out areas for improvement after a demanding weekend.

"Well, you know, as I just got done explaining to the team, this past weekend was a war… and I knew that we would come out a little flat… and I thought we got sloppy early," Serrano said. "Fortunately for us, they didn't have good command of the strike zone early on, and we ran into some balls and extended the score."

Serrano emphasized the importance of settling the game down, highlighting the impact of the bullpen. He noted that "Brandon Bell coming in and going two and a third was huge for us… he really set the momentum back on our side," while also praising Rhys Thomas for making the most of his opportunity and Logan Fiene for closing things out.

He also pointed out that while the score was lopsided, there is still work to be done moving forward. "It was really sloppy… but a win's a win," Serrano said, adding that Milligan is "a very good program" and that the Royals will need to be ready moving forward.

With the win, Johnson regains momentum as they now turn their focus to another key stretch, preparing for a weekend matchup against Tennessee Wesleyan.