Three-Peat! MXS whips Cops 16-6 to earn base championship

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Going into the base intramural softball championship, the 436th Maintenance Squadron had defeated the 436th Security Forces Squadron for the title the past two years.

Now, make that three years.

MXS pounded out 23 hits and was able to hold down a potent Cops offense, as MXS defeated the Cops, for the third-straight time, 16-6 to win the Dover Air Force Base championship at the base softball field Sep. 2, 2010.

With the victory, MXS becomes the first three-time in a row champion.

"This is the first time in Dover history this has happened," MXS shortstop/coach Anthony Arguello said. "This is my third year here, I'm headed out to Korea, but I get to leave with a championship. "

Early on it looked like the Cops might force a second and deciding game.

Adam Fike belted a two-run homer in the top of the first inning, to stake the Cops to a 2-0 lead. The Cops' lead held up until the bottom of the third inning, when Jim Goerss blasted a two-run homer and Chris Zubrick added a two-RBI double to push MXS out in front 4-2.

MXS then basically put the game away in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring six runs on RBI singles by Arguello, Goerss, Zubrick and Fortnee and Randy McDonald rapped a two-RBI double to give MXS a 10-4 lead.

The Cops added a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings, but MXS forced the mercy rule by adding five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the title 16-6.

Goerss led MXS in hitting going 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and four RBI. Shane Hierlmaier went 4-for-5, Brian Fortnee went 3-for-4 and Zubrick went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI as well for MXS.

It was also another terrific pitching performance for Roger Parsons, who kept the potent Cops offense silent for the most part in picking up the victory.

Parsons thanked the defense behind him for the winning effort.

"Our defense is huge and they stuck out the whole season," Parsons said. "I've got to give props to my defense. After giving up the home run, I learned from my mistake. I adjusted my locations and we just made it happen. "

Fike led the Cops offensively going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Jay Keough and Mike Marsters each went 2-for-3 with an RBI as well for the Cops, who came up short for the third-straight year.

Cops coach Josh Dickinson said it was very simple why the Cops lost, no defense.

"We didn't play defense," Dickinson said. "We didn't play defense and we didn't hit. When you do that, they score a bunch and you don't win."

Dickinson said despite the loss in the championship it was a very successful season for the Cops.

"Chuck (Delasauniers) and Rick (Barker) are our MVPs for the season," Dickinson said. "They showed up every game, hit, and played great in the field. Rick was our pitcher and he played great. He had 25 strikeouts on the year, which is huge. We also had great fan support. Little Rick, the Colonel (Lt. Col. James Zirkel, 436th SFS commander), Mrs. Stott, Mrs. D and all the kids were great."

Goerss said MXS' defense was the key to the three-peat performance.

"Our defense played great all year," Goerss said. "We were missing two key players at the beginning of the playoffs. We were worried a little bit, but guys stepped up for us."

Winning a championship for the third year in a row, is obviously a team effort, but pitching, in particular the play of pitcher Parsons and the defense that played behind him, was the key to winning the title again, Arguello said.

"Our biggest key this year was pitching," Arguello said. "(Parsons) pitched his way out of a lot of jams all season. Our defense also stepped up huge. And our replacements, regardless of who was playing, played well too. It was a long season. We had a lot of games rescheduled. But we put it away and we brought home the title again."