In advance of the Region 1 baseball playoffs, the Nazareth swifts won a victory over New Home, 6-2.
The Swifts drew a bye in the bi-district round and advanced directly to the regional quarterfinals beginning on Thursday. They will face Borden County.
In the New Home game, the Swifts opened up scoring in the first inning, when Tanner Birkenfeld singled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run. Sterl Welps had a four-bagger in the first inning. Welps also hit a homerun.
Swifts pitcher Carson Heiman earned the win for Nazareth, with the right-hander going five innings for 49 strikes of 78 pitches, allowing four hits and two runs, while striking out six. Sterl Welps pitched relief for two innings, with 12 strikes in 20 pitches and two strikeouts.
Luke Schulte had three at bats, one run, one walk and one strikeout; Carson Heiman, four at bats, one run and one hit; Tanner Birkenfeld, four at bats, two runs, three hits and two RBIs; Sterl Welps, four at bats, one run,, one hit, two RBIs and one strikeout; Braden Bullard, four at bats and one strikeout; Jack Welps, two at bats, one run, one walk and two strikeouts; Will Young, three at bats and one strikeout; Brett Heitschmidt, three at bats and two strikeouts; and Tell Bagley, three at bats, one hit, one RBI and one strikeout.
The regional quarterfinals will be played in Sundown, with game one on Thursday, May 11 at 5:30 p.m.; the second game will be on Friday, May 12, at 4 pm. If necessary, game three will be held 30 minutes after game two.
Region 1-1A bi-district baseball playoff games: Claude vs Crosbyton; Bordon County vs Nazareth; Westbrook vs May; Gorman vs Ira.
Region 3-1A bi-district playoff games: Miller Gover vs Leverett’s Chapel; Neches vs Sulphur Bluff; Slocum vs Brookeland; Chester vs Kennard.
The regional semifinals are scheduled for May 20, and regional finals for May 27.