New winner crowned: APS soars to top in ’07 Dover All-Night Softball Tourney

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Right-hander Robert Graves was a daunting sight on the mound, on the bases and all over the field Sept. 7 when he led his team to victory over eight Dover Air Force Base and one Coast Guard team.

The 436th Logistic Readiness Squadron, who won the 2006 tournament, relinquished their crown to the 436th Aerial Port Squadron, who now holds the winning title for Team Dover's second-annual All-Night Softball Tournament, sponsored by the base first sergeants.

The winner's story told:

"The win against LRS was the biggest win of the night," said Porter Darin Smith, who bragged that the 436th Logistics Readiness Squadron was the only team that gave them a fight for the win. "After playing LRS, we 10-run ruled every other team we played. Also, due to the fact that we struggled against LRS in the past, it was a (huge) win. There is a lot of competition and rivalry between our two teams."

A first sergeant's quest unfolds:

Though competition and rivalry is the overall theme to sports, this particular tournament is about a whole lot more, said Master Sgt. Winfert Gray, 436th Medical Group first sergeant and planner of the event.

The purpose of the tournament is two fold, continued the sergeant. It's a morale builder and also an opportunity for the First Sergeants' Council to raise funds.

The tournament's name evolved from last year's Midnight Softball Tournament, he said, boasting on how much the tournament is both growing and helping the Dover AFB community. "All the money we raise goes back to the (base) in support of the wing Christmas party, Community College of the Air Force graduations and a multitude of other base events."

Sergeant Gray imported the event from a base overseas.

"When I was stationed in Korea, we had an all-night tournament there," he said. "I put the suggestion out there and all the coaches thought it was a good idea to have one here, too. It turned out to be a great idea. Most of the die-hard softballers out there think the game season is too short, so they can get an extra few games in through this."

In addition to the 'die-hard softballers,' spectators have a great deal of fun too, observed the sergeant.

"Folks bring sleeping bags, food and drink and some even make it a family event," said Sergeant Gray. "This year we even had a couple of campers out there. We had people bring barbecues and grill hotdogs and hamburgers. This fun went on past 2 a.m."

Since the second-annual tourney had such a great turn out, the first sergeants announced that they hope to continue the tourney every year - for years to come.

The plan, according to Sergeant Gray, is to make the tournament an event that is as much part of Team Dover as the 'famed' Warrior Runs held every month. In a nutshell, Sergeant Gray, backed by the team coaches, is determined to make the annual first sergeant's All-Night Softball Tournament a huge success here.