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380AEW Article

Deployed athletes raise money for charity; Undefeated CE take OSI in CFC softball tourney, 18-12

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson
  • 380th AEW Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The Civil Engineers defeated the Office of Special Investigations conglomerate, 18-12, during the championship game in the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Combined Federal Campaign Softball Tournament here Nov. 8.

OSI played three games back-to-back to climb their way out of the losers' bracket before meeting up with the undefeated CE team. Coach and second baseman Jason Session said he knew they'd end up with CE in the final game. "Coming in to this tournament I knew we'd end up facing them in the championship game, they've got a good team."

CE took the field for the first inning giving OSI the opportunity to get on the board early.

Session was first to step up to the plate leading off his team with a grounder up the middle. Due to a previous ankle injury, OSI catcher Terry Cellars came in as a pinch runner on first. Gus Spencer's walk brings two on when Keith Burba comes out swinging and hits a grounder to CE shortstop, Stephen Burroughs.

Burroughs opts for the out at second putting runners on the corners when big Dave Clavette steps up. The shortstop hits one to the outfield. What could have been a sacrifice fly ends up being a double play as Cellars failed to tag up on the catch and gets thrown out at first for a double play.

The first half of the inning comes to a close.

Lead-off batter and left fielder, Ray Mcilwain, finds a hole in left center for a double. Matthew Wigginton, left center fielder, made a dash for it but failed to get there in time. Wigginton did not miss the next one though when Michael Jobin sent one to him for the first out and advancing the runner to third.

Kyle Cupps' single earned him a RBI before Bohrman yanked one to Matt Vilsack in right center for the second out. Burroughs tries to bring Cupps around and hits one to left center for the third out.

For what seemed to be shaping up to be a defensive game, the bats started picking up after the first inning. But so did the errors ...

Joe Rende, OSI pitcher, knocked a nice hard drive to third baseman, Cupps, who made the throw to first for the out. Vilsack got on base on an error when the shortstop, Burroughs, tried to use his ankles instead of his glove to stop the ball.

Right fielder Baxter Deese comes up to the plate with a runner on first and one down. He hits into the force at second. Wigginton follows up by hitting one through the infield for a single and pushes Deese to second.

Jamie Lugo, first baseman, hit one to short center, bringing four players to converge on the ball. Justin Miller, second baseman, calls the ball only to have it bounce off his glove into the right fielder who never saw it coming and onto the ground. As the event in center field was playing out, runners were advancing. Eventually someone throws it to Mclaurin at home but the runners are safe after a rescinded out by the umpire.

CE takes the dugout for the bottom of the second, Brian Haskell strikes out bringing lefty Mclaurin up. The southpaw hits one to Session who's playing a deep second base. Session stops the ball and throws to Lugo at first who is well off the bag. The catcher got a single on an error.

Jeff McCleland, first baseman, drives the first pitch over the fence in foul territory forcing OSI fielders to step back. His next stroke brings an out before Miller comes up. Miller found a hole in right center for a strong hit. His speed brought him to third base when he looked at the second baseman lollygagging and took a turn for home. Miller's run brings the score to 3-1 with two outs.

The third inning brought in nice hits and good base running by Spencer and Burba for OSI.

The second half of the third inning had Mclaurin heading for first after a nice poke to short right center. Vilsack kicks in the turbo and scoops it out of the dirt for a great catch. He gets the double play for the no-tag on first.

Vilsack, Deese and Wigginton all get hits in the top of the fourth. OSI was on a roll when Miller tags Lugo on his way to first and throws Cellars out at first ending the inning on a double play.

The score is 6-3, with CE in the lead and a good chance to extend the margin as they come up to bat.

McCleland drives one to short who throws it away, forcing Lugo to dive for the ball but he misses it and CE's first baseman advances to second on yet another fielding error. Miller follows up with a chopper that bounces over the infield earning a single and an RBI.

Pallas drops one into left field for a single advancing Miller to third. Mcilwain hit a high one to short right. Vilsack comes up for another scoop in the basket catch. His throw to second was off. Pitcher, Rende, backs him up but Miller scores.

CE team's Jobin and Cupps both get hits, Pallas scores. Bohrman and Burroughs closed the inning with back-to-back pop flies.

Top of the fifth, score is 10-3; Session hits a hard line drive to Cupps who beans it to McCleland for the first out. Left-handed Spencer's patience in the box pays off and he gets the first walk of the game.

Burba hits one hard up the middle to Jobin and moves Spencer to second. Clavette hits a ripper back at the pitcher who doesn't make a play and the bases are loaded. Rende comes up and rips a nice grounder up the third baseline scoring two.

Vilsack takes a look over the field and swings big as he burns Jobin in left center.

"I saw him creeping in from the outfield," Vilsack said. "I'd been hitting the ball pretty well, so I was surprised."

OSI kept their bats going as Deese scored Vilsack with a nice base hit up the middle and bringing the score to a mild 10-8.

Wigginton and Deese were both on when Lugo hits the first baseman with the error. He's safe and scores Deese.

Errors are once again taking their toll as the score closes to 10-9.

Cellars takes a bad pitch to bring Wigginton in and moves Lugo to second. Miller missed the tag, but got Cellars out at first removing the force.

The final out comes on a nice hit by Session once again up to third baseman, Cupps. Cupps can't get a glove on it but he knocks it down. Session's injury and Cupps' cannon provides enough time to pick up the ball and still make the play at first.

Game is tied 10-10.

The bottom of the fifth starts out with Haskell digging a pitch out of the dirt for a high fly ball and gets an in-the-park homerun on an error.

Mclaurin gets on base with a full count and crosses the plate when McCleland hits a nice grounder to left field getting past the shortstop. The first baseman moves to third when Miller hits one right to Session at short and burns him.

The pitcher, Pallas, comes up to the plate and sends another to shortstop who makes the play at second and scores a RBI. Burroughs follows up with a base hit when Deese doesn't get to the ball in right center.

With two strikes down Jobin hits to Burba at third who tags the base, getting Pallas out, and makes the throw to first for the close of the inning.

CE added three to the scoreboard again taking the lead by an attainable increase.

OSI left two runners stranded for the sixth inning, but manage to pick up two runs, closing the gap to a one-run lead.

Haskell hit the highlight in the seventh for a double while Miller followed up a couple batters later when he hit the other way for two RBIs. CE finishes by adding another five to cushion the lead, 18-12.

OSI fails to score when they go four up and three down in the top of the seventh to take second in the tournament.

"Overall I felt it was a good tournament," CE's coach and pitcher, Pallas, said. "Everyone enjoyed themselves while playing for a good cause."

The tournament proceeds will go to the United Service Organization through the Combined Federal Campaign. The USO is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military worldwide.

"We never could have done it without people like Senior Airman Kyle Cupps, Master Sergeant Stephen Burroughs, the first sergeants and the volunteers," Pallas said. "We especially thank the USO for the prizes and for all the support they provide our deployed men and women across the Area of Responsibility."