Nazareth sweeps doubleheader against May, advances to state tournament for third straight year

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The Nazareth Swifts are heading to the state tournament in Round Rock after taking down May in a two-game sweep on Memorial Day.

It was a huge win in Game 1, with Nazareth dominating in a 15-0 run rule victory.

Sterl Welps shined with a cycle in the opening game of the series while May struggled with both wild pitches and errors which is what led to such a lopsided victory for the Swifts.

After the dominant win in the first half of the doubleheader, the Swifts seemed well on their way to a series victory.

Game 2 was somewhat of a different story.

Nazareth got out to a big early lead once more, with Tanner Birkenhead and Sterl Welps leading the way at the plate. The Swifts held a 6-1 advantage going into the final inning, but May wasn’t going down without a fight.

In the seventh, with their backs against the wall, May’s bats finally woke up.

The Tigers scored four runs to pull back within one and had the winning run at the plate. Needing an out, the Swifts finally got a fieldable pop-up in foul territory and just nearly escaped with a win.

“You get a group of kids like that who not only love the game but love being a part of something bigger than themselves, it makes me emotional thinking about it.” Nazareth baseball head coach Tyler Goodwin said after the win. “It’s fun and enjoyable to be a part of.”

This is the third straight year the Swifts are heading to the state tournament.

Two years ago, they lost in the semi-final. Last year, they finished as the state runner-up. This year, they’re hoping to finish the job.