MARION, N.C.— After shutting out the Johnson University-Tennessee Royals in a pair of Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) contests Saturday afternoon in Marion, N.C., the Montreat baseball team went for the 3-game sweep in Sunday's series finale at Big League Camp. As the Cavaliers scored in each of the first six innings, the visitors had little trouble coasting past the Royals to the tune of a 17-1 win in seven innings. Following the victory, the Cavs moved to 9-10 (6-3 AAC) on the season.
 
Montreat started the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Jaider Morelos and Tarik Latchmansingh reached base with a single and a walk, respectively. Then, as both runners stole second and third, a throwing error brought Morelos home for the opening run. Stephen Karis plated Latchmansingh later during the at-bat via a sacrifice fly.
 
A 3-spot in the second inning handed the Cavaliers a 5-0 lead after two. Norman Kelly lined a 2-run single up the middle, and, after an error extended the frame, Karis capitalized with his second RBI in as many innings, this time on a single.
 
The Cav offense piled on the runs in the third, pushing six runners across home plate to expand the visitor edge out to 11-0. Nine consecutive batters reached safely in the inning as Montreat scored on a bases-loaded walk by Kelly and a trio of singles from Morelos, Latchmansingh and Caleb Abshier.
 
Johnson (2-18, 2-7 AAC) plated its lone run of the weekend on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the third, but Michael Bell immediately got that run back in the next half-inning with his leadoff solo shot to left.
 
Montreat scored in the initial six frames after it pushed across three more runs in the fifth and a pair of runs in the sixth. AJ Barrios and Bell notched RBI base knocks in the fifth, while Dylan Sayler drew a bases-loaded walk to grow the lead up to 15-1. Blake Watts and Tyson Cosgrove registered RBI singles in the top of the sixth to make the score 17-1 and round out the scoring for the afternoon.
 
The Cavalier pitching staff continued its dominance as the visitors saw out the 17-1 win and a 3-game series sweep in which Montreat outscored its opponent by 34 runs (35-1). Ben Cornelius surrendered just two hits and one run across five innings, and he struck out four batters en route to his first win as a Cav. Hunter Wilmoth and Nate Kiser each threw a scoreless frame in relief to help seal the 7-inning run-rule triumph.
 
Nineteen different Cavaliers recorded a plate appearance as the Cavs outhit the Royals, 17-3. Four Montreat athletes tallied multiple hits, led by Bell's 4-for-4 day with three runs scored and two RBIs.
 
The Montreat baseball team hosts the Lourdes University Gray Wolves Monday afternoon for its third consecutive day of game action. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. at Newell Field in Montreat, N.C.