436th SFS A mercy rules 436th SFS B in softball

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The 436th Security Forces A team solidified July 2, why it is one of two undefeated teams remaining in intramural softball.

The 436th SFS A team took a 10-0 lead after two innings and cruised to a 13-1 victory after four innings of play enacting the mercy rule that states that the game is called when a team has a 10-run lead after four innings of play. With the win, they pushed their record to 6-0 in American League intramural action at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

Brandon Shelton led the 436th SFS A team going 3-for-3 with a triple and five RBIs and Jordan Hucks went 3-for-3.

Shelton said he just tried to help his team any way he could and that meant just making contact.

"Our big hitters, Mike Marsters and Adam Fike struggled, so we just tried to pick them up," said Shelton. "If you make contact and put the ball in play good things are going to happen. All the hard work we put in before the season has paid off and we are doing really well."

After the 436th SFS A team grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first, they put the game away in the bottom of the second inning, scoring seven runs to take a commanding 10-0 lead.

In that inning, the 436th SFS A took advantage of many 436th SFS B errors and got RBIs in order from Josh Dickinson, Frederick Quick, Shelton, Fike, Marsters and pitcher Rick Barker.

The lone highlight for the 436th B team came in the top of the fourth inning when player-coach Thomas Faivre rapped an RBI triple cutting the 436th SFS A team lead to 10-1.

However, the 436th SFS A team put it away immediately as Quick knocked home a RBI double and Shelton added a two-RBI single with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning to complete the mercy rule blow-out.

436th SFS B team pitcher Daniel Hoyme said his team committed too many errors against a good team like the 436th SFS A team.

"We can't give up errors like that and expect to win," Hoyme said. "You can't give softball team nine outs in an inning which is what we did in the second inning and expect to pull out victories. Five of our losses have come on last inning errors."

Rafael Gonzalez, 436th SFS A team player-coach, said his team is clicking on all cylinders at the halfway mark of the season.

"We started off the season real slow eeking out tight games," said Gonzalez. "Now we're feeling more relaxed and we are really starting to play great softball. It looks like us and the other undefeated team, the 436th Aerial Port Squadron, are on a collision course to the championship if we can keep things rolling."