The Nazareth Swifts will square off against the Booker Kiowas on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Nazareth is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They never let Borden County get on the board and left with a 14-0 win. 14 seems to be a good number for the Swifts as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Zane Schulte made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Schulte was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged two or more in each of the last three games he's played.
Cameron Pohlmeier
| 05/01/25 vs Borden County | 4 |
| 04/08/25 vs Springlake-Earth | 3 |
| 04/11/25 vs Petersburg | 2 |
| 03/31/25 @ Crosbyton | 2 |
| 03/07/25 vs Westbrook | 2 |
In other batting news, Cameron Pohlmeier was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Rhett Ethridge, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Nazareth was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in 11 consecutive matchups.
25 must be Booker's lucky number: they beat Shamrock with that score not once but twice on Tuesday. The Kiowas beat the Irish by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 25-4. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Kiowas.
Chase Nelson made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Nelson was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Booker got a massive performance out of Marco Flores, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Julian Rosales was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and four runs.
Nazareth is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.1 runs over those games. As for Booker, their record is now 13-4.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Nazareth has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .617. However, it's not like Booker struggles in that department as they've averaged .512. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Nazareth came up short against Booker in their previous matchup back in May of 2017, falling 9-4. Can the Swifts avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
