Royals finish regular season with split against Boise

The Mountain Home Royals closed out their regular season American Legion baseball schedule with the split of a league doubleheader with the Boise Gems Friday night at Timberline Park in Boise.

The Royals won the first game 10-7 and dropped the nightcap 6-5.

Gems 7, Royals 10

In the first game, the Royals jumped out to a 4-1 lead after an inning and led 6-3 after two.

The Gems plated two in the fourth to cut the Mountain Home lead to 6-5, and after the Royals scored a run in the top of the sixth, Boise added two more in the sixth to tie the game at 7-7.

Jake Hennessey led off the Royals seventh with a single, and came home on Adrian Martinez's triple to give Mountain Home an 8-7 lead. One out later, Jesse Rodriguez smashed the ball over the leftfield wall to push the lead to 10-7.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, Jesse Rodriguez retired the Gems to record a complete-game victory and improve to 2-0 on the season.

Adrian Martinez and Jesse Rodriguez paced the Royals at the plate.

Martinez had three hits, including a triple, and drove in four runs.Rodriguez had a double and a home run and four RBIs. Zach Peterson had two hits and Teddy Reaume, Jake Hennessey and Edy Mesillas also had hits.

Gems 6, Royals 5

The Royals fell behind early, 4-0, in the second game, before finally scoring a run in the top of the sixth to make it 4-1, but the Gems added two important runs in the bottom of the sixth to up their lead to 6-1.

Mountain Home rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs, the final two on Adrian Martinez's fourth home run of the season to cut the deficit to 6-5, but could come no closer as they lost just their second league game of the season.

Adrian Martinez suffered the loss, despite 12 strikeouts, his second in six decisions.

The Royals outhit the Gems, 12-8. Adrian Martinez led Mountain Home at the plate with three hits, including a double and home run, and drove in two runs. Jake Hennessey had a double and triple and had an RBI. Jesse Rodriguez and Tyler McCall also had two hits and Teddy Reaume, Zach Peterson and Bailey Miller also had hits. Peterson also drove in a run.

"I wasn't happy with us letting them back in the first game," said Royals manager and head coach Alex Hoffman, "but we were able to come back in the seventh and regain the lead, and Jesse was able to hold them off and throw the complete game victory for us.

"We blew too many opportunities in the second game, but still battled back to make a game of it."

Mountain Home closed out its regular season schedule 26-5 overall and finished 16-2 in Eastern Division league play. The Area B District Tournament starts July 21. Coach Hoffman is optimistic heading into the district tourney.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get this guys ready so that they're playing their best going into district. We certainly have the guys that can win it all."

The State Class A Legion Tournament is Aug. 2-5 in Pocatello.