Air Force beats Army, wins softball championship

  • Published
  • By Sarah Anne Carter
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  The 2004 Armed Forces Men’s Softball Championship ended here Sept. 11 with the Air Force defeating the Army, 16-3, to win the gold.

On Day 3 of the tournament, the Army had its second loss of the tournament to the Navy, but still could have taken it all since the championship game is a head-to-head game. Winner takes all.

The game started off slowly with no runs until the bottom of the second inning when Air Force first baseman Kevin Quigg hit a home run and brought Scott Harris in with him. The second inning ended with Air Force up 2-0.

However, the Army took the lead back in the third inning when Army outfielder Dexter Avery hit a home run, bringing outfielder Michael Dochwat in with him. The Air Force could not answer, so the inning ended with the Army up 3-2.

After that, the Air Force decided to take the game seriously. The Army had three up and three down in the fourth inning, and then the Air Force was up to bat. Their first out was followed by five solid hitters and five runs. Their second out was followed by another five solid hitters, including two home runs by Scott Roe and Dale Back, plus another five runs. The end of the fourth had the Air Force ahead 12-3 and only three runs away from the enforcement of the 12-run mercy rule that would end the game.

The fifth inning brought the Army another three up, three down when Air Force pitcher Anthony Patrick caught Dochwat’s line drive. The Air Force started with a solid base hit by Chad Malin who was brought in when Harris hit a home run. With two more solid base hits by Quigg and Timothy Baldwin, the Air Force finished off the game with a home run by Christopher Markey. The game ended 16-3.

“This is the best team I’ve ever played for,” Markey said. “We had the chemistry and talent, and there was no destroying our team.”

Patrick agreed.

“At this level, everyone’s talented enough to win the gold,” he said. “But it’s the team chemistry that pulled it through.”

While the Army played well throughout the whole tournament, they could only beat the Air Force once.

The Navy ended the tournament with three wins and six losses.

After the silver and gold medals were awarded, the members of the all-tournament and armed forces teams were announced. The members of the Armed Forces team will compete Sept. 16 to 19 in the Men's Major Slow Pitch National Championship Finals in Sanford, Fla.

Representing the Air Force on the All-Tournament Team are Patrick from Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Dale Back from Lackland AFB, Texas; and Randy Wilhide from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

Airmen on the Armed Forces Team include Patrick; Quigg from Offutt AFB Neb.; Back; Markey from Ramstein AB, Germany; Baldwin from Fairchild AFB, Wash.; Wilhide; and Toby Urenda from Eglin AFB. They will be coached by Stephen Shortland from Randolph AFB, Texas, and assistant coach Randy Raper from Malmstrom AFB, Mont.