MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat baseball team bested the Johnson University-Tennessee Royals at Newell Field Friday afternoon, defeating the visiting Royals 10-0 in a mercy-rule shortened competition. With the win, the Cavs improved to 12-10 (2-5 AAC) on the season.
 
The Cavaliers got the scoring started with a trio of runs in the bottom of the initial inning. Noah Medina reached and stole second before he was driven in by Tarik Latchmansingh, who got the scoring started. Rafael Padilla then crushed a ball to right field for his third home run of the year to put the Cavs ahead 3-0.
 
Montreat then added another four runs in the third frame to blow the game open. Latchmansingh continued his impressive day in the inning, leading off with a bomb to right center, his seventh homer of the 2022 campaign to make it 4-0. Following a fielding error by Johnson, Daniel Wetmore plated Ashton Hawkins and Michael Bell tripled in both Wetmore and Padilla to increase the home team's advantage to seven.
 
Jared Drayton pitched phenomenally, using an 83-pitch performance to shut down the visitors on the day. The graduate student surrendered a mere three hits over a complete-game seven-inning effort, striking out six Royals batters throughout the contest.
 
The Cavs plated three more runs on the afternoon, including one on a Padilla sacrifice fly that scored Chase Bruno in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the sixth. Needing two runs to put the 10-run rule into effect, Montreat produced exactly that with an RBI double by Latchmansingh and a sacrifice fly by Wetmore. Latchmansingh finished the day a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and as many runs scored, while Padilla ended 1-for-1 with a trio of RBIs and two runs scored. Seven different Cavaliers registered base knocks as the Cavs outhit the Royals 10-3 in the competition.
 
Though Johnson recorded a baserunner in the top of the seventh, the Royals failed to extend the matchup as Drayton concluded his masterful showing to put away the visitors.
 
"The defense did a great job behind me and supported me all game," said Drayton of his performance. "I was able to get into a groove on the mound today because of them and that really helped me excel," Drayton ended.
 
Baseball continues its three-game set with a doubleheader against the Royals on Saturday. First pitch of game one at Newell Field is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.