The Royal Knights will challenge the Connell Eagles at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Royal knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three games -- so hopefully Connell likes a good challenge.
Royal gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They blew past Kiona-Benton 13-3. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by nine runs or more this season.
Karson Thompson
| 04/21/26 vs Kiona-Benton | 8 |
| 04/14/26 @ College Place | 3 |
| 04/11/26 vs Almira-Coulee-Hartline | 6 |
| 04/03/26 @ Chelan | 6 |
| 03/31/26 @ Cashmere | 1 |
| 03/28/26 @ Wapato | 8 |
Karson Thompson made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Bryan Larsen was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Royal's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 7-1 (and 2-6-1 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Ernie Weeks, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Royal was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .480. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Connell came up short against Cashmere on Saturday, falling 15-2. The defeat continues a trend for the Eagles in their meetings with the Bulldogs: they've now lost six in a row.
Connell saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tucker Thomasson, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Connell's loss dropped their record down to 13-3. As for Royal, their win bumped their record up to 9-7-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Royal has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Connell struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Royal couldn't quite get it done against Connell in their previous matchup back in April of 2025 as they fell 11-8. Will the Knights have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
