TAPPS recap: Covenant falls in state semifinal nail-biter; Temple Christian/SCS lose in title game

BASEBALL

Houston Lutheran South 16, Fort Worth Southwest Christian 0

Houston Lutheran South pounded out 18 hits, almost all sharply hit, and pitcher Nelson Klein handcuffed Fort Worth Southwest Christian in a 16-0 white wash in the TAPPS Division II state championship game on Thursday afternoon at the Waco ISD Athletic Complex.

Klein, a senior southpaw, sat Southwest Christian (23-12-1) down in order the first three innings and allowed two hits, no walks, one hit batter and recorded three strikeouts over seven innings.

Joseph Johnson’s leadoff single in the fourth and Xander McAfee’s single to leadoff the seventh were the only hits for SCS. Luke Bullinger was hit by a pitch to leadoff the fifth.

Shortstop Easton Brenner led the Pioneers at the plate with two singles, a double, two walks, four runs batted in and two runs scored. Douglas Powledge added three hits and three runs scored for Lutheran South.

It was a three-peat for Lutheran South (22-9-1) as the Pioneers won titles in 2018, 19 and 21. COVID-19 canceled the 2020 season.

Lubbock Trinity Christian 2, Colleyville Covenant 1

Lubbock Trinity Christian scored single runs in the first and fourth innings then held off Colleyville Covenant, 2-1, in a TAPPS Division III semifinal Thursday afternoon at the Waco ISD Athletics Complex.

Caleb Bunch went the distance for Covenant (21-6-3) scattering six hits, one walk and striking out eight.

Austin Scheets walked to open the sixth, stole second and wend to third on a passed ball. Another passed ball allowed Scheets to come home with the Cougars’ only run.

Covenant had chances during the game including a leadoff triple by Daniel Calabrese in the third, but Lions’ pitcher Nathan Taylor, who got the win, fanned the next three batters.

Weston Cox and Jack Britton both walked to lead off the seventh, but two strikeouts and a fly out ended the game.

Cadon Everett and Jarren Lewis drove in runs for Trinity Christian.

Lubbock Trinity (25-6-1) will face League City Bay Area Christian (27-4-2) in the title game at 10 a.m. on Friday. Bay Area defeated Schertz John Paul II 1-0 on a walk off squeeze but in the second semifinal.

SOFTBALL

Hallettsville Sacred Heart 13, Fort Worth Temple Christian 3 (6)

After a huge comeback against district rival Fort Worth Calvary Christian in the semifinals, Fort Worth Temple Christian wasn’t able to duplicate the feat in the Division IV state title game.

Hallettsville Sacred Heart built an early six-run lead then held off a late run by the Eagles before pulling away, 13-3, in a six-inning, run-rule victory on Thursday afternoon at the Waco ISD Athletic Complex.

RBI singles by Tayor Rodriguez and Katie Croy in the fourth and a run scoring ground out by Graci Green in the fifth cut the Indians’ lead to 6-3, but a six-run bottom of the fifth doomed Temple Christian (17-7).

Ava Lackey went 3 for 4 with a double, triple and homer with five runs batted in and three runs scored for Sacred Heart (20-4-1). Jules Janak tripled and homered with four RBI for the Indians.