Royals sweep Seminoles to extend winning record

The Mountain Home Royals picked up three more wins last week, sweeping the Seminoles and taking a non-league game from Middleton.

Royals 14, Seminoles 4

(5 innings)

Royals 7, Seminoles 4

The Mountain Home Royals swept a league doubleheader from the Boise Seminoles last Wednesday night at Royals Field in Mountain Home, winning the first game 14-4 in five innings and taking the nightcap 7-4.

A five-run second inning put the Royals up 7-0 in the first game. They made it 10-0 in the fourth.

The Seminoles got to Royals pitcher Zach Petersen for four runs on six hits in the top of the fifth inning to make it 10-4, but Mountain Home battled back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to end it 14-4 by the 10-run rule.

Mountain Home pounded out 16 hits in the first game. John Kennison had four hits, scored four runs and drove in three runs. Zach Petersen had three hits, including a double and triple, and had two RBI. Danny Brescia had two hits, including a two-run inside-the-park home run, and drove in five runs. Tyler McCall and Cody Blakemore also had two hits. Blakemore knocked in a run. Jesse Cobos had a two-run double and Jace Bennett and Bailey Miller-Hodge also had hits.

Zach Petersen struck out five in the five-inning win, improving to 3-2 on the season.

Mountain Home jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one in the second game and held off the Seminoles for a 7-4 win.

"It's an up-and-down rollercoaster," said Coach Hoffman after the second game win.

"Every time we run into these situations, it just gives us a chance to learn, and I don't say this in a negative way, because we came out of here with two wins today, so hats off to the boys for that. But not being able to execute some things that we've devoted a large amount of time to, it's frustrating, but what it does do, it gives us a chance to understand what we need to work on to further that and make that a part of our game.

"Even though it didn't look pretty, it was probably one of the best things that we got out of tonight."

Mountain Home outhit the Seminoles 11-5 in the nightcap. Danny Brescia had a triple and another inside-the-park home run and drove in two runs. Tyler McCall had three hits and an RBI. Jesse Cobos had two doubles and drove in a run. John Kennison, Zach Petersen, Jesse Rodriguez and Cody Blakemore also had hits. Petersen and Blakemore had RBIs.

Levi Abrahamson scattered five hits in five innings of work to get the win and improve to 2-1 on the season. Jesse Cobos struck out three batters in two scoreless innings to get the save.

Mountain Home improved to 12-2 in league play and 15-5 overall.

Royals 14, Middleton 3

(5 innings)

Mountain Home picked up its fifth straight win Friday night, downing the Middleton Rookies 14-3 during a non-league game at Mountain Home.

The Royals spotted the Rookies two runs in the top of the first as Mountain Home starter Jesse Cobos had trouble adjusting to the umpire's small strike zone. Cobos struck out the side in the first, but also walked three and hit a batter.

Mountain Home answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, added five in the second, three in the third and four more in the fourth to go up 14-3.

Jesse Rodriguez came on in relief and pitched a scoreless fifth as the Royals won in five, 14-3.

Mountain Home had 12 hits against two Middleton pitchers. Zach Petersen, Jesse Cobos, Levi Abrahamson and Jake Ryan each had two hits. Petersen had a double and triple and drove in three runs, Cobos had a double and two RBI, Ryan had a triple, two RBI and scored three times, and Abrahamson also knocked in a run. John Kennison, Jace Bennett, Danny Brescia and Cody Blakemore also had hits. Blakemore had an RBI.

Jesse Cobos struck out eight and allowed just one hit in four innings of work to improve to 4-0 on the season.

The win improved Mountain Home to 16-5 on the season. They hosted the Boise Capitals in a league doubleheader yesterday (Tuesday), and travel to Mountain View for a make-up doubleheader with the Toros on Friday.