Tough baseball start
Third baseman Jaimen Smith swings and misses at a high inside pitch.Catcher Juan Niebla looks to the dugout for signals from the bench.
ROYAL CITY — Facing one of the better 1A teams in the state, Royal kicked off the prep baseball season on Saturday with twin shutout losses to Zillah, 9-0 and 12-0.
“Overall, it was a tough day at the yard, but the score doesn’t show how well we pitched,” coach Joe Avila said. “Our guys threw strikes all day and continued to compete regardless of the situation or what went on behind them.”
Kaden Jenks got the start in the first game, allowing four runs in four innings of work while striking out three batters. At the plate, Jenks had two hits, both singles, and Jesse Santillan had a single.
Corbin Christensen threw the final three innings allowing only two earned runs. Both hurlers threw the ball well. They were around the zone all game.
“Sometimes you have to tip your cap when a team puts a good swing on the baseball,” Avila said.
Randy Dunn got the start in the second game, allowing two earned runs in three and one-third innings of work. Defensively the Knights struggled behind Dunn, giving up seven unearned runs while he was out there.
“Randy battled and threw a ton of strikes, very proud of his effort and attitude,” Avila said.
Jesse Santillan had the lone hit in the game with a single. Juan Niebla, normally the catcher, recorded the final five outs on the mound, giving up one earned run, with a strikeout.
“We have a lot of work to do, but we are excited to get back to work this week and for our next opportunity to play,” Avila said.