Royal baseball off to a good start

ROYAL CITY - The Royal High School baseball team is young this year, but it appears to be headed toward a good season in the South Central Athletic East Conference.

The Knights out hit always-tough Kiona-Benton in both games Saturday while winning the first, 5-2, and disappointingly dropping the second, 6-5.

The first game featured Royal's Brady Dixon pitching a complete 2-hit game to beat Ki-Be ace Carl Robb. Last year, Robb didn't lose a league game.

Brady was hot on offense too. He started the game off with a solid base hit and then stole second. Aaron Johnson scored him on a base hit to right field.

Royal scored three more runs after Johnny Montoya lead off the second inning with a base hit and Sam Christensen got aboard on a fielder's choice bunt.

Freshman catcher Jesse Santillan laid down another bunt, and Ki -Be overthrew at second, allowing Christensen to advance to third and Santillan to second. Brady added another base hit, scoring both. Later, Johnson scored Brady on another base hit.

"Things were going well until the fifth inning, where we had three errors on plays that would have closed the inning, but the team held together," coach Daren Christensen said.

With the bases loaded and only one out, a ball was hit sharply to Johnson at third. He touched the bag and threw to first to record a rally ending double play.

In the second game there were some untimely errors and questionable ball and strike calls that extended innings for the Bears and allowed them to come up with a 6-5 win.

After out hitting Ki-Be, 8-2, in first game, the Knights won the hits battle in the second game, 8-6.

Reed Lefler had great game at the plate, going 3-for-4 and scoring a run. Kent Christensen went going 2-for-4 at the plate and also scored a run. Brady Dixon continued to put pressure on the Bears going 2-for-4 and scoring 2 runs.

"Overall it was a good day for the Knights," coach Christensen said. "The Bears had lost only one league game in three years before Saturday."