Nazareth pulls off comeback in game one vs. Claude, run rules game two to sweep series
The Nazareth Swifts advanced all the way to the state championship game last year and received a first round bye this year. The Claude Mustangs hadn't made it to the regional semifinals in 20 years and needed a play-in game just to qualify for the postseason.
Yet for most of Thursday night's first playoff game, it was the Mustangs that were in control. They took the lead in the first inning and managed to hold the Swifts' offense at bay for much of the night.
Much of. Mostly. Nearly all. But not when the score went final.
Luke Schulte's RBI single in the top of the sixth inning sent one run home and two others scored on an error during the same play to put Nazareth on top by one run. Claude tied and nearly won the game in the bottom of the seventh, but had to settle for extra innings. The Swifts came alive then, scoring four runs and taking an 8-4 victory to gain an edge in the series.
It didn't look like that was going to happen for a long while. Though Nazareth took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to Sterl Welps' single to score Schulte, Claude came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the inning. Braygon Conrad and TJ Ivy scored on an error before Luke Knox scored on an RBI groundout by Brian Campbell to put the Mustangs up 3-1.
3-1 is how it would remain until the sixth inning rally when the Swifts seemed to clinch victory. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, however, Campbell hit a double that managed to score Iuy and Knox came within feet of securing a walk-off run, but was tagged out before he made it home to send the game to extras.
Conrad had pitched a solid game for the Mustangs, but hit 105 pitches before the extra inning and had to be replaced. The Swifts took advantage with Will Young scoring on an error before Brett Heitschmidt scored on a balk later in the inning. Carson Heiman singled shortly after to score Schulte and Tell Bagley to make it 8-4 and that's the way it would stay.
The Swifts got off to a great start in game two as Sterl Welps' single in the first inning scored Schulte and Heiman before Sterl Welps scored on an RBI single by Jack Welps to make it 3-0. The score remained 3-0 through the first two innings before lighting struck, causing a delay.
The game went into hiatus for some time before officials ruled that a postponement made the most sense. That game resumed Friday and ended after five innings with Nazareth winning 14-3. The Swifts advance to the regional finals next week.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Nazareth pulls off comeback in game one vs. Claude, run rules game two to sweep series
