REDDING, Calif. - The men's baseball team began its 2026 season with a four-game series against Hope International this weekend.  

Reigning Cal Pac Pitcher of the Year Gage Hoyle got the opening day start for the Red Hawks on Friday in game one of the four-game series. 

But the Royals jumped on Hoyle and the Red Hawks bullpen as they slugged 15 hits while plating 16 runs en route to a seven-inning mercy rule victory to open the season. 

The trio of Mario Catalan, Cayden Lee, and Owen Hayes each posted two-hit performances while Hayes led the offense with two RBIs. 

Hope kept its bats hot in the second game of the series as they plated 12 runs in the first three innings of the game. 

The story of the game fell on the Red Hawks' defense as they committed 10 errors while allowing just eight earned runs as they dropped the second game of the twin-bill 16-4. 

Tyler Haruta and Eric Mora led the Simpson bats with two hits each, while Cayden Lee registered a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Day 2:

Simpson looked to bounce back on the second day behind game three starter Brendan Moore. 

Moore threw the ball great all day as he held the Royals offense in check. He scattered seven hits across 6.0 innings of work while allowing two runs and one earned to notch the quality start. 

The Red Hawks threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning as Jackson Berry began the inning with a lead-off single, followed by a walk by Nui Sato and a hit by pitch to Duke Aloy to load the bases. 

But the Royals danced out of danger as they summoned left-hander Jayson Thomas out of the bullpen. Thomas induced back-to-back ground balls to get out of the inning unscathed. 

Hope picked up two huge insurance runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings to take the 4-0 lead. 

A lead-off single by Owen Hayes, followed by a walk to Berry, put early traffic aboard in the home half of the ninth inning. 

Sato came through in the clutch as the freshman out of Keaau, Hawaii, picked up his first collegiate hit and RBIs on a ringing double into the left field corner to plate Hayes and Berry to cut the Royals' lead in half. 

A Royals error on an Aloy flyball allowed the Red Hawks to put the tying run on base. Courtesy runner Shakespear Taylor swiped second base for his first stolen base of the year to move into scoring position with two outs. 

But the Royals bullpen buckled down as they induced a game-ending groundout to preserve the 4-2 victory over the Red Hawks. 

The series finale saw the Red Hawks plate four runs in the bottom of the first inning. A one-out error by the Royals started the rally as a double by Cayden Lee, followed by a walk to Hayes loaded the bases. 

Sato earned the bases-loaded RBI walk as JJ Torrente earned a fielder's choice RBI to give Simpson the 2-0 lead. The big swing of the inning came from Andrew Sherrell as he doubled into the left field corner to score Torrente and Hayes. 

Simpson held the 6-4 lead heading into the fourth inning. But the Royals notched four hits in the inning to take the 7-6 lead.

Hope pulled away in the top of the seventh inning as they plated five runs, highlighted by a grand slam to take the series finale 12-6. 

Hayes had quite the weekend as he posted five hits, which included two extra-base hits and three RBIs over the series. Eric Mora and Cayden Lee followed close behind with four hits each over the weekend. 

The boys are back in action this weekend as they travel north to take on Bushnell in a four-game series beginning Friday at 2 pm. 
 

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