Royals Roll Past Union Commonwealth 10-1 in Midweek Matchup

KNOXVILLE, TN– The Royals continued their strong start to the 2026 campaign Tuesday afternoon, defeating Union Commonwealth 10-1 in a non-conference contest at home.

Johnson (13-1, 5-0) totaled 10 runs on 13 hits while limiting Union Commonwealth (3-8, 0-6) to just one run, pulling away with a five-run sixth inning to put the game out of reach.

The Royals struck early, plating two runs in the first inning. Braden Frank drove in the game's first run with a single to right field before Mitchell Birdsall followed with an RBI single to give Johnson a 2-0 lead.

Johnson added two more in the third, highlighted by a Joseph Brown RBI single and another run-producing at-bat from Birdsall to stretch the advantage to 4-0.

The big blow came in the sixth. Austin Menesini launched a solo home run to left field to start the scoring in the frame, and the Royals kept the pressure on. Grayson Shehan doubled home a run, Frank added another RBI single, and Christian Altamirano drove in a run as part of a five-run outburst that pushed the lead to 9-0.

Shehan, who collected two hits and an RBI, provided a spark in limited opportunities, while Frank finished with two hits, three runs scored, and two RBIs. A. Menesini added two hits, including the home run, and two runs scored in the win.

On the mound, Johnson executed its plan to get multiple arms work. The Royals used nine pitchers in the contest, combining to allow just one run while striking out eight. Johnson consistently pounded the strike zone throughout the afternoon and did not issue a walk until the ninth inning.

Head coach Dave Serrano was pleased with the overall effort and the opportunity to build depth.

"Well, obviously the score kind of tells the story. I thought we played good baseball for the most part," Serrano said. "Any time you go out and throw strikes — we threw nine different guys. That was the game plan going in to get some guys some work. We didn't walk a guy until the ninth inning. I thought we played really solid defense, and offensively we did a lot of good things. We stole some bases, and we drove in guys when we had to."

The Royals were aggressive on the bases as well, swiping multiple bags, while playing clean defense behind the pitching staff.

Serrano also highlighted the growth of several players, including Shehan at the plate and Brooks Bird on the mound, noting the importance of developing depth as the season progresses.

"My main thing, and the coaching staff's main thing, is we just got to continue to push these guys," Serrano said. "We've kind of had a good run at it lately, even though our schedule has been really hectic with all the changes. I commend our guys for sustaining their success, but we can't get complacent. This team has something special going, and we just can't let it escape. We've got to keep plugging away and getting better."

Union Commonwealth scored its lone run in the eighth inning, but Johnson answered in the bottom half of the frame to close out the 10-1 final.

With the win, the Royals continue to build momentum as they navigate a busy early-season schedule, showing depth on the mound, timely hitting, and consistent defensive play. They will continue their season this weekend as they head to Spartanburg Methodist for their third conference series of the season.