96 SFS wins intramural softball title

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gaddie
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 96th Security Forces Squadron powered past the 96th Medical Group 16-15 July 20 in a come-from-behind dazzler to take the intramural softball championship here.

MDG finished the regular season with an 8-2 record. SFS, who posted at 7-2 regular season record, beat MDG 9-5 when they met during the regular season.

Both teams displayed finely tuned offensive and defensive skills in the seven inning matchup. They protected their respective outfields by grabbing long balls out of the air and turning many double plays in the infield.

After MDG led in the first two innings, SFS nailed three runs in the third to go up 7-6.

In the fourth inning, with Matthew Maples, Drew Salas and D.J. Cummings loading the bases, MDG team coach Zach Higgins sent a line drive to right field to bring two of the three runners in and put MDG ahead, 8-7.

MDG piled on in the fifth inning with seven runs, widening their lead to 15-7, with hot bats from assistant team coach Dante Harris, Davey Dean, Higgins, Maples, Cummings and Salas. SFS could not answer, going three-and-out on their turn at bat.

"If we keep hitting, we'll be fine," Higgins said. "But they can score runs, too. We have to keep playing good defense."

Despite the momentum shift, 96 SFS felt they were still in the hunt and didn't get down on themselves.

"We're feeling pretty good," said team coach Travis Walker. "We just need to keep scoring runs."

Momentum shifted again, when MDG went cold at the plate in the sixth and seventh innings. SFS made up four runs in the sixth.

Then, with clutch hits in the seventh inning from Travis Holcomb, James Colbourne, Brandon Brader and Billy Taulbee, 96 SFS picked up five runs to win the championship 16-15.

"We had to be smart on the bases and had to know when to run," said Walker. "That helped us out a lot. 96 MDG is one of the best teams here and we knew we had to have a lot of heart in order to win. We played as a team and we won this together."