RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
A late surge of hitting by the 12th Services Squadron intramural softball team broke up a tie ballgame and keyed a 10-7 win over the Air Force Occupational Measurement Squadron in the intramural playoff opener Monday.
With the tournament now well underway, action will continue through Wednesday, when a champion will be crowned.
"We had some timely hitting and had no really bad errors," said Daniel Buntjer, 12th SVS coach Daniel Buntjer of his team's play this year. "It was nice for an inaugural season."
Services (5-7) took the lead early against AFOMS, scoring three runs by the bottom of the first inning to solidify a 3-0 lead.
But AFOMS wouldn't let them get too comfortable. By the bottom of the second, they had tied the score 3-3.
That score held - with good fielding by both teams - until the top of the fifth inning, when
Services' Tyler Betts, stepped up to the plate with two outs on the board, and slammed the ball over the Rambler Field outfield fence for the game's only home run. AFOMS shined during the fifth and sixth innings, taking a 6-4 lead and shutting down SVS batting efforts.
Then came the top of the seventh inning, when Services took to the plate, scored three runs, and created a 7-6 lead.
But AFOMS came back and tied the score at the end of the seventh inning.
Services was then promptly shut down as three players earned hits and were either tagged or caught out, stalling the score at 7-7.
Services found its rhythm again and scored three runs, boosting the final score to 10-7 over AFOMS, which failed to germinate an offensive effort during the bottom half of the ninth inning.
Buntjer singled out home-run hitter Betts for his outstanding offensive play, plus third baseman Scott Simons and left centerfielder Roger Ramirez for excellence in fielding and overall defensive play. He said his team's next opponent in double-elimination playoff is the undefeated Air Force Personnel Center.
"They're pretty much the cream of the crop," Buntjer said.
In other softball tournament action Monday, teams from the 12th Medical Group, the Air Education and Training Command, and the Fire Department moved to the next round of play.
All four teams that fell in the opening-round moved to the loser's bracket.