Royals split victories during four-game series

The Mountain Home Royals won two games and lost two others at the Idaho Falls Tournament last week in Idaho Falls.

The Royals lost their opener on Thursday, 10-runned two opponents on Friday, and lost their final game of the tournament Saturday morning.

I.F. Bees 5, Royals 4

The Royals opened the Idaho Falls American Legion baseball tourney with a 5-4 loss to the Idaho Falls Bees Thursday at Melaleuka Field.

The Royals struck first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning on Cody Blakemore's two-run single.

Idaho Falls put together four straight hits off Royals starter Levi Abrahamson in the top of the third to score three runs and take a 3-2 lead.

Back came the Royals in the bottom of the third and regained the lead on a two-run double by Skylar Quintal to go up 4-3.

The score stayed at 4-3 until the top of the seventh when the Bees took advantage of two walks and two hits to regain the lead, 5-4.

Mountain Home managed a two-out double by Danny Brescia in the bottom of the seventh, but failed to score and lost 5-4.

Royals head coach and manager Alex Hoffman thought it was a game they could have won.

"It's a game we should have won, but it comes down to, until we can go and out and start winning ball games the way we need to win them, and more important, playing the game right for seven innings, who we play and the final outcome doesn't mean much to us, because we're trying to teach kids here, and the guys are trying to learn and if we're not doing that, a win -- you can put that on the back-burner for me."

The Royals managed just five hits in the game. Danny Brescia and Skylar Quintal both had two, including doubles, and Quintal drove in two runs. Cody Blakemore had a two-run single for Mountain Home's other hit.

Skylar Quintal relieved Royals starter Levi Abrahamson in the seventh and suffered the loss.

Royals 21, Knights 8

Mountain Home opened play Friday morning at Hillcrest High School against the Idaho Falls Knights and scored early and often for a 21-8 five-inning win.

The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Knights countered with three in the bottom half to go up 3-2.

A nine-run second inning put the Royals up 11-3 and a nine-run fifth made it 21-3, putting the game out of reach.

The Knights scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 21-8 final, the game ending by the 10-run rule.

Coach Hoffman was pleased to see his Royals come out ready to play against the Knights.

"That's been our number one priority to get them to the point that they can go out there and work hard and good things can happen, so they can understand and see those things happen and know that there's just a few simple things that we have to change out here to come out and be an unbeatable ball club," the coach said. "This game was a good step toward that."

Mountain Home pounded out 17 hits against three Knights pitchers. John Kennison, Danny Brescia and Jesse Cobos each had three hits, Kennison scored three runs and drove in two, Brescia scored four and drove in three, and Cobos scored three and drove in two, one with a solo home run.

Skylar Quintal, Teddy Reaume and Cody Blakemore each had two hits, Quintal drove in two runs, Blakemore and Reaume, one each. Jesse Rodriguez blasted a two-run home run. Bailey Miller-Hodge also had a hit and RBI.

Jesse Rodriguez pitched four innings to get the win. Ross Harlan and John Kennison pitched in the fifth inning.

Royals 11, Russets 1

The Royals continued their aggressive style of baseball Friday afternoon, rolling to an 11-1 six-inning win over the Shelley Russets at the Hillcrest field.

Surprisingly, Mountain Home only outhit the Russets 6-4, but their aggressiveness on the bases and nine walks and two hit-batters by three Shelley pitchers helped the Royals' cause.

Skylar Quintal continued his hot hitting in the tournament, getting two hits including a double and two RBI. Cody Blakemore had a two-run single, and Bailey Miller-Hodge, Ross Harlan and Teddy Reaume also had hits, Miller-Hodge had an RBI.

Jesse Cobos went the distance for the win, scattering four hits and striking out four to get the win in his first effort of the year on the pitcher's mound.

"For the most part, it was a good game of execution for us," said Coach Hoffman of the Shelley win. "Maybe we pushed ourselves too hard in certain situations, and that's on me, but I'll take our over-aggressive over being passive, especially winning, 11-1."

Dixie Fliers 10, Royals 1

The Royals ended their pool play schedule Saturday morning at Hillcrest against the Dixie Fliers of St. George, Utah, needing a win to keep their hopes alive of making the championship game. It wasn't to be, as the Fliers prevailed 10-1.

Dixie broke open a close game in the top of the third, getting to Royals starter Zach Petersen for four runs, though just one of them was earned.

Mountain Home, who left nine runners on base for the game, managed its lone run in the bottom of the third.

The Fliers broke it open with five unearned runs in the sixth, and added another run in the seventh to make it a 10-1 final.

"It's a tough loss," said Coach Hoffman after the game. "It's a shame we have to end the tourney this way (with a loss), but it's not the worst thing in the world because we took some big strides this weekend, and I can appreciate that.

"Being focused is one of our main issues we have to learn how to overcome, and see the good in it, because, if not, we're just going to going on this up and down rollercoaster, and we want to avoid that if at all possible," he added. "We have work to do. I'm not naive, but at the same time, I can appreciate a lot of positives we can take from this tournament.

"We hit the ball hard today, but it was just right to somebody. We did all the little things right they needed to do to win a game, and we weren't able to take advantage of the things we were able to take advantage of yesterday, and that's why we didn't score runs, but it's good that we know that and move forward from it and play ball."

Zach Petersen and Jesse Rodriguez each had two hits for the Royals. Danny Brescia had an RBI-double, and Jesse Cobos and Jake Ryan also had hits. Petersen suffered the loss despite allowing only two earned runs. His record is now 1-1.

The Royals, now 4-2 on the season, host the Boise Senators in a doubleheader this Thursday.

"It'll be nice to open up at home," said Coach Hoffman. "Hopefully, we can get ourselves in a little groove so we're a little bit more prepared."

The first game against the Senators starts at 5 p.m. Thursday. The Royals are on the road to Emmett on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.