Royal splits openers
Royal Knights Baseball
ROYAL CITY - The Royal High baseball team looked very young in the first game of a South Central A Conference East doubleheader last Saturday, falling 11-1 to the Kiona-Benton Bears.
But there was a conversion between games, and the Knights held on late in the second game with the defense of veterans and prevailed 7-5. Beating the Bears was a bit special.
"They have been a strong program for the last decade," coach Daren Christensen said.
The Knights themselves were special in the top of the seventh inning. Leading 7-5, they watched the Bears load the bases with one out and then stopped them.
The Bears hit a grounder up the middle that relief pitcher Sam Christensen knocked down with his foot to make a play at home for the second out. With do-or-die pressure on every pitch and a 1-2 count Christensen threw a breaking ball that looked like the third strike. He missed close again with a 2-2 count.
Then, with a full count, two outs and the runners going, the Ki-Be hitter lifted a high fly ball to Riley Lefler in right field for the final out. Lefler had several catches for big outs all day.
"That was a pressure catch," coach Christensen said.
Royal ignited offensively in the first inning. Teddy Mead was hit by a pitch and then moved over by an Aaron Johnson single. Johnny Montoya walked to load the bases, and the next batter, Kaden Jenks, doubled in two runs.
In the bottom of the second, Robert Martinez led off with a single, and then Jesse Santillan laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt. Mead followed with a single, which allowed Christensen to hit a deep fly for a sacrifice RBI.
Jenks started on the mound and went through six effective innings. He had to be relieved by Sam Christensen because of his pitch count.
In the first game, the Knights committed so many errors (8) that all Ki-Be had to do was put the ball in play. The Bears needed only five hits to score 11 runs.
"Many times we didn't field or throw the ball very well," coach Christensen said.
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