The Nazareth Swifts ended a great season and their bid for the championship title with a defeat in the semifinals against Fayetteville 4-0 in Round Rock last Wednesday. This was the Swifts third trip to the state finals.
Fayetteville led off at bat in the top of the first inning, with Nazareth Carson Heiman pitching, Luke Schulte as catcher; Sterl Welps at first base, Jack Welps at second base, Will Young at short stop, Brayden Bullard at third base, Brett Heitschmidt in left field, Tanner Birkenfeld in center field, and Tell Bagley in right field.
Fayetteville’s first batter took a base on a walk and scored a run in the first inning when the next batter up hit a line drive to left field, putting the first runner across home plate. Nazareth was unable to connect for any runs in the bottom of the first.
Neither team scored in the second, third and fourth innings.
Fayetteville came in with another three runs in the fifth inning with two singles and a batter hit by pitch, loading the bases. Another batter hit a single to left field, allowing two runners to score, and a double line drive put another runner across the plate, putting Fayetteville up 4-0.
Carson Heiman was the losing pitcher, pitching 4.2 innings with 42 strikes in 65 pitches, surrendering seven hits, four runs, and one walk. Sterl Welps pitched 2.1 innings for 16 strikes in 23 pitches, with two strikeouts.
Luke Schulte had three at bats and two strikeouts; Carson Heiman three at bats and one strikeout; Tanner Birkenfeld, three at bats and two strikeouts; Sterl Welps, three at bats, one hit and one strikeout; Braden Bullard, three at bats and two strikeouts; Jack Welps, three at bats, two hits and one strikeout; Will Young, three at bats; Bret Heitschmidt, three at bats; and Tell Bagley, one at bat and one walk.