Royals Complete Series Sweep of No. 14 Reinhardt with 14-7 Victory

Waleska, GA — Johnson capped off a statement weekend Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 14 Reinhardt 14-7 to complete the three-game sweep and move to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play.

The Royals wasted no time taking control offensively. After Reinhardt grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, Johnson erupted for four runs in the second to swing the momentum for good. Edwin Olmeda Jr. sparked the rally with a two-RBI triple down the right field line, and the Royals capitalized on defensive miscues to extend the inning.

Johnson continued to apply pressure in the third, plating four more runs. Mitchell Birdsall delivered a two-run double to the gap, Christian Altamirano followed with an RBI double, and Luke Wilson added to the scoring to stretch the lead to 8-2. The Royals added three more in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run double from Austin Menesini that pushed the advantage to 11-4.

Reinhardt responded with solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings and added another run in the sixth to cut into the deficit, but Johnson never allowed the Eagles to get back within striking distance. Braden Frank provided a key insurance blow in the seventh with a two-run home run to right-center, and the Royals tacked on another in the eighth to seal the 14-7 victory.

Senior outfielder Travis Hobbensiefken led the offensive surge, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Birdsall drove in three runs, while Frank finished with two RBIs. As a team, Johnson pounded out 16 hits in the win.

"It was a very special weekend for this team," Hobbensiefken said. "We wanted the sweep and to send a message to the conference and we did that. I was attacking the first pitch and getting my pitch to hit and being a tough out! Wouldn't be able to do what I do without my teammates. It was a great weekend for us. Just got to keep stacking days!"

On the mound, Tyler Barfield earned the win after working four innings with three strikeouts. Matt Newton provided two solid innings out of the bullpen, and Kilian deMayo shut the door with three scoreless frames to close out the sweep.

With the series sweep of the nationally ranked Eagles complete, the Royals now turn their attention to a non-conference matchup at home against Union on February 17 at 3 p.m. EST.