Royals split with Buhl, Senators but lose to Emmett

The Mountain Home Royals picked up a couple more wins last week in American Legion baseball.

Royals 7, Buhl 21

Royals 17, Buhl 16

The Mountain Home Royals split an American Legion baseball doubleheader with the Buhl Tribe last Tuesday night, losing the first game, 21-7, but battling back to take the nightcap, 17-16.

A 16-run second inning was more than enough for the Tribe in the first game as they went on to beat the Royals. Mountain Home only had four hits in that game.

Cody Blakemore had an RBI-single, and Jesse Cobos, Kole Filipovich and Esmer Castillo also had hits. David Welle, Sklyer Knudson, Riley Woodland and Like Lockard all had RBIs. Tyler Abernathy, the first of four Royals pitchers, suffered the loss.

The second game went back and forth, with Mountain Home taking a three-run lead after an inning, but a four-run second put Buhl ahead. The Royals tied it at 4 in the bottom of the second.

Buhl went back ahead with a five-run third, but the Royals regained the lead with six runs in the bottom half of the inning. A four-run fifth put Buhl ahead by two.

Buhl scored three times in the top of the seventh to lead, 16-12, but back came the Royals, who scored five in the bottom half of the inning for the win.

The Royals were outhit, 16-9 in the second game, but eight walks, six hit batters and seven errors by Buhl helped the Royals stay in the game.

Esmer Castillo and Riley Woodland both had two hits in the second game. Castillo had an RBI and scored three runs.

Sklyer Knudson and Jayden Sexton both had two-run singles, Curran Price, Luke Lockard and Kole Filipovich had hits, Lockard and Filipovich both drove in runs; Filipovich's was a walk-off hit. Curran Price, Cody Simpson and Cody Blakemore all pitched in the second game, with Blakemore picking up the win.

Royals head coach and manager Michael Hobgood was pleased with the team's effort in the second game.

"We obviously put ourselves in a situation there, being down four runs going into the bottom of the seventh inning," the coach said. "To come out with, really, non-starters and some young guys in there and earning (runs) and getting the job done and coming back and taking a win -- that was nice."

Royals 14, Seminoles 8

Royals 5, Seminoles 10

The Royals came away with a split of the Boise Seminoles last Thursday at home, winning the first game, 14-8, but dropping the nightcap, 10-5.

Mountain Home jumped out to a 7-1 lead after two innings in the first game. The Seminoles cut the lead to three in the fifth, but the Royals went on to take the win.

Curran Price and Kyle Acarregui both had three hits in the first game. Price scored three runs, Acarregui had a double and drove in three runs.

Cody Blakemore had two hits, including a double and drove in six runs. He went the distance on the mound to pick up his second win of the season, striking out five batters. David Welle also had a hit and scored two runs for the Royals.

During the second game, Boise went ahead, 5-1, with three runs in the fourth. After the Royals scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to cut it to 5-3, Boise scored four more runs in the fifth to put the game out of reach and withstood a seventh-inning rally by the Royals to win.

Esmer Castillo and Riley Woodland both had two hits to lead the Royals. Cody Simpspn and Luke Lockard had RBI-singles, and Jesse Cobos, David Welle and Kyle Acarregui also had hits.

Simpson pitched into the fifth inning, striking out five batters. He suffered the loss, getting relief help from Jayden Sexton and Curran Price.

Coach Hobgood liked the quick start by the Royals in the first game but lamented the effort in the second game.

"We came out with fire in that first game," the coach said. "Cody Blakemore threw a heck of a game. We got the job done."

The coach admitted that his team came out a bit "flat" in the second game.

"I felt we were happy getting that first win," he added. "I think we battled in the first part, and then they got that lead on us and we just kind of gave it to them a little bit."

Emmett 9, Royals 3

Mountain Home fell behind in the first inning and was never able to recover as the Emmett Blue Devils downed the Royals, 9-3, Saturday at Emmett.

The Royals grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Emmett countered with three in the bottom half of the inning to grab the lead for good and go on to take the win.

Mountain Home managed just three hits in the game. Cody Blakemore, Cody Simpson and Kole Filipovich each singled for the Royals. Blakemore scored twice and Simpson had an RBI.

David Welle suffered the loss on the mound, giving up three runs in two innings. Kole Filipovich pitched the final four innings for the Royals.

The loss dropped the Royals to 4-10 on the season. The team travels to Twin Falls today, June 17, before it faces the Boise Senators on Saturday at Wigle Field at Borah High School.