Northborough, Mass. — The Metrowest Royals entered the 2018 postseason as the No. 4 seed, but finished as champions, sweeping the Northborough Phillies 8-0 and 7-2 in the 2018 MSBL MetroWest Division Championship Series on Sunday afternoon. This is the Royals' third championship since 2013 and it comes off an impressive 6-1 run through the postseason.

The Royals defeated the No. 5-seeded Marlborough Red Sox in two games, gutted out a 2-1 series win over the No. 1-seeded Framingham Orioles, and then capped off their championship run with a 2-game sweep over the No. 3-seeded Northborough Phillies.

Finals Game 1: Metrowest Royals 8, Northborough Phillies 0 (Final)

Christopher Dion spun a complete game shutout, guiding the Royals to an 8-0 Game 1 win. The southpaw allowed just five hits over seven innings of work, while striking out nine and issuing just one walk.

The Royals gifted Dion an early three-run lead after striking in the top of the first off Phillies' starter Al Robillard. With two outs and runners on second and third, Kevin Lyons delivered the key hit with a 2-RBI double into the right center gap. Jay Hussey followed with a base hit into shallow left that allowed Lyons to scamper home and score.

The Phillies responded by loading the bases with one out in the second, however, Dion was able to get Chris Jarvis to pop out to short and then strike out Jeff Polinski to end the only threat he had to face.

Robillard settled down and kept the Royals' offense in check until the 7th inning. An RBI double from Stephen Robb, followed by RBI-singles from Anthony Perry and Jay Thomas gave the Royals enough insurance runs to win Game 1.

Robb finished the game 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and Perry went a perfect 3-for-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. Hussey was the other Royal to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4.

Finals Game 2: Metrowest Royals 7, Northborough Phillies 2 (Final)

The Phillies capitalized immediately in Game 2, loading the bases in the top half of the first with one out, before Robillard singled in Joe Loynd. Erik DiGuilio followed with a sharp single through the left side to score Mike Escolas for the early 2-0 lead.

The Royals didn't back down and scratched out a run in the bottom half of the first on a Thomas' sac fly to deep right off right-hander Graham Gaudette that scored Robb and cut the Phillies' lead in half.

Two innings later, the Royals tied the game after Lyons was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Hussey followed with a two-RBI single to give the Royals a 5-2 lead.

This was all the Royals' Game 2 starter Ian Pierce (5 IP, 4 H, 10 K, 2 BB, 2 ER) needed, as he was able to find his rhythm after a rocky first inning and proceed to strike out seven of the next nine batters, before turning the ball over to Dion, who closed out the game and earned the save.

Perry went 2-for-2 with two runs scored in the game and finished the series going a perfect 5-for-5, sharing co-MVP honors with Dion. Hussey also recorded another two-hit game and Miguel Gonzalez checked in with a 2-for-3, RBI performance.

Congratulations to the Metrowest Royals on winning the 2018 MSBL MetroWest Division Championship, and hats off to the Northborough Phillies on their first Finals appearance in the BMBL era.