The Olton Mustangs’ varsity baseball team battle Nazareth at Littlefield on Tuesday, falling to the Swifts, 10-8.
In the top of the first inning, Paytn Jimenez got the lead-off batter, Cameron Pohlmeier to ground out to Fabian Gutierrez at shortstop for out number one. Tripp Ethridge hit a slow roller down the first-base line that was fielded by Jimenez, who flipped it to Adolfo Garcia at first base for out number two and Zane Shulte grounded out to Callan Burns at third base to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Olton was unable to get anything going offensively, as Jimenez and Jaxon Tomsu struck out swinging, and Garcia flew out to Alejandro Guerrero in center field to end the inning.
In the top of the second, Jimenez got Rhett Ethridge to ground out to Garcia at first base for out number one, but Jett McLarty drew a walk and Dayne Shulte hit a grounder deep in the hole to Dax Light at second base, but he could not make the throw to first, putting runners on first and second for the Swifts with no outs. Reid Backus hit a slow roller to Gutierrez at shortstop, but the throw to first pulled Garcia off the bag, as a run scored to put Nazareth up, 1-0.
Backus took second on a pitch, and Guerrero knocked an RBIsingle to left field to make the score, 2-0. He took second on a throwing error into the infield from Victor Reyes, leaving runners on second and third. Pierce Willhelm hit a sacrifice fly to Jett Tomsu in center field, as a run scored from third to push the lead to, 3-0 with two outs. Pohlmeier ripped an RBI-triple down the left-field line, stretching the lead to, 4-0, and Tripp Ethridge drew a walk, before Jimenez got Zane Shulte to fly out to Jett Tomsu in center field to retire the side.
In the bottom of the second inning, Jett Tomsu flew out to Guerrero in center field for out number one, but Alan Vasquez singled over third base and took second on a pitch and third on a passed ball, before Reyes drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Olton. Callan Burns would strike out looking for out number two and Gutierrez hit a grounder to Pohlmeier at second base who got the out at first to end the inning.
Jett Tomsu relieved Jimenez on the mound for Olton to begin the third inning, as Rhett Ethridge singled on a throwing error to first by Gutierrez. McLarty drew a walk, but Dayne Shulte was called out on caught foul tip strike three for out number one. Backus hit into a fielder’s choice to Jimenez at shortstop, who got the out at second base for out number two, leaving runners on the corners. Guerrero popped up to Garcia in foul territory at first base, as he made a diving catch in front of the dugout to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the third, Cooper Clayton struck out swinging for out number one, but Jimenez drew a walk, as Pohlmeier relieved Zane Shulte on the mound for the Swifts. Jimenez took second on a pitch and third on a passed ball, before Jaxon Tomsu drove him in with an RBIsingle on an error by Zane Shulte at shortstop, trimming the lead to, 4-1.
Jaxon Tomsu took second on a pitch, as Colby Burns came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Garcia kept it going with an RBI-double to left field, cutting the lead to, 4-2, but Jett Tomsu popped up to Backus at first base for out number two. Vasquez picked him up with an RBI-triple to the center-field fence and he scored on a passed ball to tie the game, 4-4, before Reyes drew a walk to give the Mustangs a base runner. Reyes would advance to third, before Callan Burns grounded out to Zane Shulte at third base to end the inning.
Nazareth would break through again in the top of the fourth, as Willhelm drew a lead-off walk and Pohlmeier singled to right-center field, putting runners on first and second for the Swifts with no outs. Tripp Ethridge hit a high chopper over Jett Tomsu on the mound that was fielded by Light, who got the out at first, as the runners advanced to second and third.
Zane Shulte lined out to Reyes in left field for out number two, but Rhett Ethridge reached base on an error by Gutierrez at third base, as a run scored, making the score, 5-4. McLarty hit a grounder to Gutierrez at third, but a throwing error to first allowed two runs to score, pushing the lead to, 7-4. Dayne Shulte would strike out looking to retire the side.
Nazareth would add a run in the top of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to make the score, 10-4, but in the Mustangs would not go away without a fight.
Jimenez struck out swinging to begin the final half inning, but Jaxon Tomsu singled up the middle, as Colby Burns came on as the courtesy runner. Garcia followed it up with a single to right field and Jett Tomsu kept it going with an RBI-single up the middle to trim the lead to, 10-5. Vasquez ripped a two-RBI triple to left-center field to cut the lead to, 10-7, and Reyes hit a sacrifice chopper to Zane Shulte at shortstop for out number two, as Vasquez scored to make the score, 10-8.
Callan Burns hit a shot to third, and reached base on a throwing error to first by Tripp Ethridge. Gutierrez hit a slow chopper to third and beat out the throw to first, as Callan Burns went firstto- third on the play, leaving runners on the corners with two outs. However, Clayton grounded out to Pohlmeier at second base to end the game, as Olton came up short against Nazareth, 10-8.
Jimenez started on the mound for Olton, pitching two innings, giving up four hits, two walks and four runs. Jett Tomsu pitched two innings, giving up five hits, two walks and three runs, while striking out two and Alan Vasquez pitched two innings, giving up three walks, one hit and two runs, while striking out four. Light pitched one inning, giving up three hits, one walk and one run, while striking out one batter.