Chomp! Gators win intramural softball title

Published June 23, 2011
By Sam Miller
Intramural sports director

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 334th Training Squadron Gators defeated the 335th TRS Bulls in a 16-15 nail-biter to win the 2011 intramural softball championship June 15.

Both teams started the championship game with red-hot bats.

The Gators completed the top of the first inning with a home run and a 5-0 lead. Not to be outmatched, the Bulls added a home run and was only down by one run going into the second inning. More home runs followed in the next three innings, with both teams reaching the maximum of five home runs after only four innings of play.

The Bulls came into the fifth inning with a 12-10 lead and extended their lead to 15-12 in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Gators came back to score four runs in the top of the seventh inning to give them a 16-15 going into the last half inning of the game.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Bulls found themselves in an ideal situation,with the tying run on second base and the winning run on first with only one out.

The Bulls hit what could have been a three-run home run to win the game, but was ruled an out since the Bulls had already reached the maximum five home runs allowed per game. The last batter was flied out, securing the championship for the Gators.

The Gators finished the National League regular season 10-1, only losing to the 81st Training Wing staff agencies, 21-19, during the second week of the season.

A nine-game winning streak carried the Gators into a second-round playoff matchup with the undefeated 81st WSA on June 13, which ended in a 14-13 WSA victory.

After a 22-13 playoff win over 2nd Air Force, the Gators were poised to do battle with the 81st WSA once again. Under the double elimination playoff format, the Gators had to win two straight games against the 81st WSA for an opportunity to compete in the overall base championship.

The Gators were able to pull off a narrow 18-17 defeat of the 81st WSA in the fourth round, forcing a fifth round game that would decide the National League champion. The Gators were able to upset the 81st WSA, the regular-season top team in the National League, 14-8 to secure a spot in the championship game.

The American League finals were not as eventful.

The Bulls garnered the top seed in the American League after finishing the regular season with an 11-0 record. The Bulls accumulated playoff wins over the 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron, 18-13), and two against the Marine Corps Detachment B-team, 10-8 and 18-17. The final win extended their undefeated streak to 13-0 to claim bragging rights for the American League.