The Rochester Royals are just a win away from earning a state berth in amateur baseball.
That used to be a common occurrence as the Royals went to state every year from 1998 to 2010. But the team has been in a three-year state drought. That could change today.
The third-seeded Royals opened their best-of-three Section 2B semifinals series with a 3-1 win over No. 2 Savage at Mayo Field on Thursday night.
"It was playoff baseball at Mayo Field," Royals right fielder Matt Stubbs said. "It doesn't get much better than that."
Stubbs drove in all three runs for the Royals with a single in the first inning and a two-run double in the fifth.
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"We're coming together when we need to," Royals pitcher Josh Conley said.
Conley, a right-hander, tossed a six-hit complete game to earn the victory.
"My catcher (Dave Rojo) called a great game," Conley said. "I didn't shake him off much."
The Royals have now won six straight games and are 21-11 this season. They could clinch their first state berth since 2011 with a win over Savage at 7:30 p.m. today in Burnsville. The third and deciding game, if necessary, will be 7 p.m. Saturday in Burnsville.
The top two finishers in Section 2B earn state berths. In the other semifinal matchup, No. 1 Eagan is facing off against No. 5 Burnsville.
