Royals Power Past NCAA Division II UVA Wise Behind Birdsall’s Big Day

WISE, VA— The Royals used an explosive offensive performance to defeat NCAA Division II opponent UVA Wise 11–5 on Tuesday afternoon in a midweek road matchup.

Johnson wasted no time taking control, plating four runs in the opening inning. JJ Menesini sparked the rally by swiping second and scoring on a throw before Izaak Fernandez followed with an RBI single. Mitchell Birdsall capped the inning with a two-run home run to left field, giving the Royals an early 4–0 advantage.

UVA Wise answered with a run in the second and another in the fourth, but the Royals continued to build their lead. In the fifth inning, Birdsall delivered again with an RBI double before Jesse Rojas launched a two-run home run to extend the lead to 7–2. Later in the inning, Luke Wilson added a two-run single to push the margin to 9–2.

The Royals stayed aggressive at the plate as Birdsall connected for his second home run of the day in the sixth inning, and Braden Frank added a solo shot in the seventh to make it 11–4. UVA Wise added a run late, but Johnson's pitching staff maintained control to close out the win.

Johnson finished with 13 hits on the day, led by Birdsall's four-RBI performance and three hits. Wilson added two hits and two RBIs, while Rojas and Frank each contributed home runs as the Royals showed depth throughout the lineup.

On the mound, Johnson utilized multiple arms, with Andrew Uharriet earning the win and the bullpen combining to limit UVA Wise to five runs while working through traffic effectively.

Following the game, head coach Dave Serrano highlighted the team's early offensive success and depth on the mound.

"Very good job by our team to win a midweek on the road," Serrano said. "Our offense jumped out to an early lead, led by a first inning HR by Mitchell Birdsall, his first of two on the day and continued to tack runs on throughout the game. It was great that we were able to get many guys in on the mound in the game and, for the most part, they all did a good job. Now we prepare for another important weekend series against Montreat that starts Friday."

Birdsall, who played a key role in the win, reflected on his performance following a recent stretch at the plate.

"It's been a rough past couple of weeks at the plate, but glory to God and trusting the process through it all."

With the win, the Royals continue to build momentum as they head into an important upcoming conference series against Montreat.