Royals Rally Late to Sweep Bethel with 7–5 Win

KNOXVILLE, TN— The Royals completed a three-game non-conference sweep of the Bethel Wildcats on Sunday afternoon, rallying late for a 7–5 victory at Russell Morgan Field.

The win moves Johnson to 20–2 on the season and caps off a strong week for the Royals, who used a mix of pitching, defense, and timely offense to secure the series sweep.

Johnson struck first in the opening inning when JJ Menesini delivered an RBI single to score Luke Wilson, giving the Royals an early 1–0 lead. The Royals added to that advantage in the fourth inning as Izaak Fernandez doubled to center field, driving in Braden Frank and Travis Hobbensiefken to extend the lead to 3–0.

Bethel slowly battled back into the game, scoring once in the fifth inning before tying the contest in the sixth with a pair of runs to make it 3–3. The Wildcats then took their first lead of the game in the seventh inning when Juan Diego Ramos connected for a two-run home run, putting Bethel ahead 5–3.

The Royals quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning with a four-run rally that ultimately decided the game.

Grayson Shehan started the comeback with an RBI single up the middle to score Jesse Rojas, cutting the deficit to one. Later in the inning, Menesini laid down a sacrifice bunt that brought home Edwin Olmeda Jr. to tie the game at 5–5.

Johnson then surged ahead as Travis Hobbensiefken delivered a clutch RBI double down the right field line to score Shehan, giving the Royals a 6–5 lead. Braden Frank followed with another RBI double to bring home Hobbensiefken and extend the lead to 7–5.

Head coach Dave Serrano described the game as one that shifted dramatically throughout the afternoon.

"Another good sweep for our guys, adding another one to their resume on the season," Serrano said. "This was a game of two tales. Early on it was all about the pitching and defense, led by our starter Jacob Jacome, then it ended up being more about the offense."

Jacob Jacome started on the mound for Johnson and set the tone early, allowing three runs over 5.2 innings while keeping the Wildcats in check through the first half of the game. Kilian deMayo and Kaleb Townsend followed in relief, with Townsend closing out the final innings to secure the win.

Johnson finished with 11 hits on the day. Frank led the offense with three hits and an RBI, while Hobbensiefken added two hits including the go-ahead RBI double. Menesini drove in two runs, and Fernandez and Shehan each contributed key RBIs during the Royals' comeback inning.

Serrano credited the team's response after falling behind late in the game.

"I felt we decided, after we gave up the lead, to take some great team at bats," Serrano said. "Many good things happened in the bottom of the seventh with both Grayson Shehan and Travis Hobbensiefken driving in big runs. This team continues to show resiliency and the will to win."

With the series sweep complete, the Royals now turn their attention to conference play. Johnson will travel to Bryan College on March 13–14 for an Appalachian Athletic Conference series.