Royals win Mudcat Wood Bat Tournament

The Mountain Home Royals had another successful week of American Legion baseball last week, sweeping a league doubleheader from the Boise Barons, then bouncing back from an opening day tourney loss to Treasure Valley to win their next four games and capture the Mudcat Wood Bat Summer Classic Tournament title at Columbia High School in Nampa.

Royals 6, 6

Barons 2, 3

The Mountain Home Royals swept a league doubleheader from the Boise Barons last Tuesday night at home, winning the first game 6-2 and the second 6-3.

Mountain Home spotted the Barons a couple of unearned runs in the first inning of the first game before taking the lead with three runs in the second inning. The Royals added another run in the third inning, and two more in the fifth to win 6-2.

Alex Rodriguez allowed just three hits and struck out 10 batters in going the distance for the win to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Skyler Quintal had two hits including a double and scored two runs. Skyler Podesek had an RBI-double, Eric Christiansen and Trevor Woodruff both had RBI-singles, and Ronnie Young also had a hit.

In the second game, the Barons pushed across an unearned run in the third inning and added two more in in the fourth to go up 3-0, a lead that stood up until Mountain Home rallied in the sixth inning, scoring six runs on just two timely hits, taking advantage of four walks and three hit batters to go up 6-3. Jared Day, who relieved Eric Christiansen in the fifth inning, pitched three scoreless innings to get the win and improve to 3-0.

Mountain Home managed only five hits in the game but took advantage of five walks and four hit batters. Skyler Podesek had two hits including a double and drove in two runs, Trevor Woodruff had an RBI-single, David Bitrick had a hit and an RBI, Eric Christiansen also had a hit and Anthony Castillo and Jared Day also had RBIs.

Royals head coach Mark Cotton was pleased to see his guys battle back to sweep both games.

"I think we came out a little flat today. When the guys showed up to the park it didn't seem like there was a lot of energy, but they kind of fought through it in the first game.

"In the second game, it was kind of the same thing, real lethargic early. We need to come to the ball park with more intensity than that, but overall, I thought we had some guys really step up. Skyler Quintal played great defense in the first game and swung a great bat for us, and Trevor Woodruff played a really nice shortstop today as well.

"Jared Day, on the mound, that was huge to be able to come in and throw strikes like he did down the stretch, and then our batters finally at the end, started going up there with better approaches and were able to put the bat on the ball and not swinging at pitches they can't handle," Cotton said.

"Overall, I'm pleased, but I'd like to see us come out with a little more intensity than we did today."

Treasure Valley 7

Mountain Home 2

Two costly errors in the fourth inning led to seven unearned runs by Treasure Valley as the Stars downed the Royals 7-2 in the opening of the Mudcat Wood Bat Summer Classic Thursday at Hawks Memorial Stadium in Boise.

Mountain Home left two runners on base in both the first and second inning, but managed to score a run in the third on back-to-back doubles by Eric Christiansen and Alex Rodriguez.

Trevor Woodruff was cruising through three innings and had allowed just one hit while striking out six. But then in the fourth, with one out, things started to unravel. An error, then two hits led to one run, another fielding error led to another run. Two bases-loaded walks scored two more and ended Woodruff's day on the bump.

Gage Curtis took over and walked two more runs in, and another run came in on a single before he was able to get out of the inning, but the damage was done as the Stars had scored seven runs to go up 7-1.

Curtis settled down and shut out the Stars the rest of the way, but Mountain Home was only able to score one more run, that in the fifth, as they dropped their tourney opener 7-2.

Coach Cotton said after the game that the defensive miscues were a big factor.

"With these wood bat games, you really have to play defense, because if you give up any runs that are unearned, it can cost you the game. As you saw today, there weren't a lot of balls hit in the gap. There were a lot of ground balls, so you've got to play defense and you've got to throw strikes.

"Trevor let it get away from him there in the inning. He's better than what he showed today and our defense is better than what we showed today, but we lost it all in that one inning. You take that one inning away and we win it, but we're learning, and hopefully we can come back tomorrow and this will put a little fire under us."

The Royals outhit Treasure Valley 7-5. David Bitrick, Eric Christiansen and Alex Rodriguez each had two hits. Christiansen and Rodriguez both had doubles and an RBI.

Royals 7

Kuna 3

The Royals took on the Kuna Diamondbacks Friday morning and pounded out 13 hits in a 7-3 win at Columbia High School in Nampa.

Mountain Home scored two runs in the first and added two more in the third to go up 4-0. They led 5-2 after six and added two more in the top of the seventh, while Kuna scored once in the bottom of the inning to make it a 7-3 final.

Eric Christiansen had three hits and drove in a run for the Royals. Skyler Podesek and Alex Rodriguez both had two hits. Rodriguez had a double and a triple and drove in three runs.

David Bitrick, Joe Gutierrez, Trevor Woodruff, Gage Curtis and Anthony Castillo each had a hit. Castillo had an RBI.

Castillo also picked up the win, going six innings and scattering four hits while striking out eight batters.

"Our bats came alive today," said Coach Cotton after the game. "I thought our guys went up to the plate with good approaches and did what they had to do to get on base.

"Something we can definitely work on is our base running -- I thought we made some errors there, but overall, I was impressed with the effort."

Cotton also was happy with the effort he got from Anthony Castillo on the mound.

"Anthony hasn't thrown a lot this year, so it was nice to see Anthony come out, work ahead in the count and give us a chance to win there."

Mtn. Home 3

Hillcrest 2

In a battle of Royals, the Mountain Home variety got a one-out single from Ryan Goldsby in the bottom of the seventh to edge the Hillcrest Royals 3-2 Friday afternoon at Columbia.

The game was a great pitching duel between Mountain Home's Jared Day and Hillcrest's Ian Ence.

Mountain Home took a 1-0 lead in the third when Trevor Woodruff doubled in David Bitrick after Bitrick had reached base on an error. The lead held up until the top of the sixth when Hillcrest took advantage of a walk, an error and a single to score two runs and go up, 2-1.

The Royals tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth when David Bitrick singled and came home on Eric Christiansen's sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the seventh, Gage Curtis led off the inning with a double. After Ronnie Young lined out to the second baseman, Ryan Goldsby came through with his first hit of the season, which scored Curtis with the winning run.

"I'm glad I finally got one!" said Goldsby of his game-winning hit. "I saw it coming in, so I hit it!"

"It was nice to see the bottom of the order come through at the end of the game," said Coach Cotton. "We didn't get much production out of them earlier in the game, and then they came through when we really needed it. It was awesome to see Ryan come through in the clutch like that."

Mountain Home had just six hits off Hillcrest pitcher Ian Ence, who struck out 12 batters. Trevor Woodruff, Skyler Podesek and Gage Curtis each had a double, and David Bitrick, Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Goldsby also had hits.

Jared Day went the distance for the win, scattering four hits while striking out seven to improve to 4-0 on the season.

"We told Jared before the game that we're short on pitching and we needed him to go the distance if he can, and he threw a great game," said Cotton. "He had one inning where he had some bumps there, and you're going to expect that in a seven-inning game, but he came back after that in the seventh and started locating again and started working ahead in the count and we rolled a double play to get him out of that inning as well."

Mtn. Home 12

Seminoles 2

The Royals faced the Boise Seminoles Saturday afternoon and won 12-2 in six innings, despite committing six errors in the game.

The Royals looked like they were going to break it open in the first inning, but were only able to score three runs. They added a run in the second and four more in the third to go up 8-1.

After Boise added another unearned run in the top of the fourth, the Royals added another run in the bottom half of the inning, but left the bases loaded. They added another run in the fifth and then with one out in the sixth after David Bitrick walked, Skyler Podesek hit one in the gap in right center that rolled to the fence, and Podesek raced all around the bases for an inside-the-park home run that ended the game by the 10-run rule, 12-2.

"I think early, we were very, very sloppy," said Coach Cotton after the game. "The tempo of the game was really slow, and then finally we started coming out and moving base runners and being aggressive on the bases and being aggressive at the plate.

"We've still got a lot to work on -- we made a lot of mistakes and obviously a lot of errors -- but it's back to work tomorrow and hopefully we can come out with a better performance than today."

Eric Christiansen continued his hot hitting, getting three hits, including a double and an RBI. Jake and Tom Hennessey returned to the lineup after being on vacation, and Jake had two hits, including a triple, and drove in four runs, while Tom had a hit and scored three runs.

David Bitrick, Skyler Podesek, and Trevor Woodruff each had two hits. Bitrick scored four runs, Podesek had a home run and three RBIs, and Woodruff also knocked in a run.

Gage Curtis and Joe Gutierrez also had hits. Gutierrez had an RBI.

Alex Rodriguez scattered three hits and struck out nine while improving to 3-0 on the season.

Royals 13

Toros 2

The Mountain Home Royals faced the Mountain View Toros for the Mudcat Summer Classic championship and cruised to a 13-2 win in six innings.

The Royals took advantage of 14 walks and two hit batters and put them together with 10 hits to have their way with the Toros.

Tom Hennessey pitched a gem, striking out 13 while allowing just one hit.

"I think the most impressive thing in the weekend was seeing how our bats came along," said Coach Cotton after receiving the championship trophy.

"The first couple of games, hitting with the wood bats, we were not hitting the ball hard at all, and as the weekend went on, the guys got used to it, made their adjustments and played great baseball all the way around.

"Obviously, Tom Hennessey on the mound, he was great today, especially early on. He struggled there a little bit there at the end, but battled through it and only gave up one hit, so that's very impressive."

Alex Rodriguez had three hits, including a double, and drove in three runs. Jake Hennessey had two doubles and two RBIs. Trevor Woodruff had a triple and three RBIs. Skyler Podesek, Jared Day, Tom Hennessey and Joe Gutierrez also had hits. Podesek drove in two runs and Day one. Hennessey scored four runs.

The Royals head into this week's games 3-0 in league play and 13-1 overall. They hosted the Boise Seminoles for two league games Tuesday and go to Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian for another tournament starting Friday.

"The way they have that one set up is you play two Friday, two Saturday and one on Sunday," said Coach Cotton.

"I think it will be okay for us, because we've got a lot of guys that are throwing well right now, and that's going to help us out, but like I said, the goal is to get better every day that we come out and hopefully we can keep the momentum going."

The Royals open the Rocky Mountain Tournament Friday at 9:30 a.m. against Rocky Mountain and play Owyhee Valley at 2:30 p.m. They play the Boise Gems at 2:30 p.m Saturday and face the Boise Capitals at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The third-place game is at 10 a.m. Sunday and the championship game is at 1 p.m.