REDDING, Calif. - The Simpson baseball team salvaged the final game of its home stand as they took down #2 Hope International this afternoon to conclude its four-game home stand. 

The Royals jumped on starter Nathan Palacioz as they plated nine runs within the first three innings to take the commanding 9-0 lead. 

Simpson got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-run blast by Mario Catalan. 

However, the Royals plated six more runs in the seventh inning to take the game 16-2 in mercy rule fashion. 

The Red Hawks looked to salvage the final game of the series behind starter Qorey Houston.

Catalan continued to stay hot as he stroked his second long ball of the day in the first inning to left field to give Simpson the early lead. 

The Royals answered back as they took the 3-1 lead as they scored twice in the second and once in the third inning. 

But the Red Hawks exploded in the bottom half of the inning as they plated eight runs on five hits and one Hope error. 

A leadoff walk to Keelan Yagi followed by a single through the left side of the infield put traffic on the bases for the Red Hawks as they moved up 90 ft on a pass ball. 

Cayden Lee picked up a clutch two-run single on a groundball back up the middle to tie the game. 

Dominic Folks picked up an RBI single followed by a bases-loaded two-run single by Andreyes Palacios and capped off by a two-run single by Brock Gilligan to give Simpson the commanding 9-3 lead. 

The Royals answered back with two long balls in the fourth inning to make it a 9-5 game. But Simpson answered back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. 

Simpson added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a RBI single by Lee. 

The Royals' last gasp came on a two-run blast to cut the lead and make it a 12-7 game before Logan Boenker closed out the game by striking out the side to give Simpson the 12-7 victory. 

Lee and Gilligan led the team with two hits each as they combined for five RBIs. 

With the win, the Red Hawks defeated the highest-ranked opponent in program history as they took down the #2 team in the nation. 

Simpson looks to stay hot as they hit the road to take on Cal State Eastbay this weekend as they start a three-game series on Friday at 2 pm. 
 

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