Slow start for Royal baseball

ROYAL CITY - Royal High School started the baseball season last Saturday with two losses at Zillah, and new coach Joe Avila was pleased with the first-game effort, not so much the second game.

Zillah won the first game, 4-2, with a three-run sixth inning rally. The Leopards won the second game, 17-0, when their pitcher allowed a lone hit to Royal's Sam Christensen.

Royal played great defensively in the first game, Avila said. Pitcher Aaron Johnson had a "quality" start.

Zillah led, 1-0, going to the bottom of the sixth inning. It plated three runs to stretch the lead to 4-1.

Royal started a comeback in the top of the seventh with a RBI single by Kaden Jenks that scored Johnson from second base. But Zillah's pitching and defense choked off the rally.