Ranks are thinned in intramural softball midseason tournament

Fort Myer’s intramural softball league recently hit the midway point of its season. Up to this point, no team took charge of the league and scores needed to be settled. So, the best way to make it happen is to have a Mid-Season Single Elimination Tournament where every team has the chance to say they are the one to beat.

From all accounts, if this tournament is to represent the second half of the season, everyone better bring their A-game, because it is a very competitive and challenging league.

It was a two-week tournament where every night was win or go home. The first round started as if some of the teams didn’t realize how serious it was going to be. All first round games were blowout wins by C Company, PMO, Army Jag, ATEC, B Company and NDU. However, these teams along with the current first place teams, A Company and 529 RSC, provided all the highlights Fort Myer needed over the last week of the tournament.

The bottom half of the bracket appeared to be the ‘‘bracket of death” with strong teams, A Co., B Co., ATEC, and NDU. No one could predict which of these teams would survive to make to the championship game.

The no. 1 seed, A Company, was the strongest, but not by much. It was like putting the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Cardinals in one division. They are solid teams with strong support from their units, but only one team will make it through.

As it turned out, B Company, led by their intense coach Matthew Lamb, took them to the finals with a 16-14 win over NDU and 10-8 victory against A Company.

The top half of the bracket was something else. Most thought 529 RSC was the stronger team in the lineup. What we didn’t know was a sleeping giant known as Army JAG was about to wake-up. JAG rolled through opponents. First, they destroyed PMO 28-0 in a game featuring a seven run first inning which set the tone.

Their semifinal match-up against C Company, which upset 529 RSC, was about the same as the previous one. This time JAG would hit 7 home runs leading to a 31-11 rout. The final was set; Army JAG and would get Bravo in a finals game worthy enough to be replayed on ESPN Classic.

The game started out just like Army JAG wanted it to go. JAG knocked out a couple home runs to take a quick 4-0 lead in the first. Most at the ballpark thought another 30 runs might go on the board.

But with solid defense and timely nickel-and-dime hitting, Bravo found themselves on top with 7-6 at the end of the third.

JAG coach Steven Haight said after the game, ‘‘It was a close one with the lead changing hands several times, but whenever we needed it, players would come through with a big play — especially Sgt. 1st Class [Jason] Gilmer with his hits or Staff Sgt. Greer with his fielding in the outfield.”

This was true for the rest of the game, the lead changes would continue, but in a big time way.

The fourth inning began with visiting Bravo striking another run to go up 8-6. Not to be outdone, JAG put up 4 to make it 10-8 as the 4th came to a close.

After a scoreless 5th, the sixth inning needed some excitement. It first came from Bravo’s Matthew Lamb who finally broke out of his slump by cranking a 3-run shot over the left field fence to put Bravo ahead 11-10.

Bravo could have had more if it wasn’t for a nice quick catch by the JAG infielder Gilmer to end the inning. How many times do we see a guy make a great play in the field and then come up with a big at bat? JAG, down 11-10, needed to come up strong, so they sent Gilmer to the plate.

Gilmer already with one home run, tied the game with a hit that hasn’t landed yet. If the JAG team wasn’t excited over that, Martin Greer made it back to back home runs to put them ahead.

After a couple more runs, JAG entered the seventh inning up 16-11. Bravo had to fight once again and after getting two runs across, the score was 16-13 with bases loaded and the winning run at the plate.

Michael Glaze, pitcher for JAG, just needed one more out. He trusted his infield. They played well all tournament, but this time he didn’t need it. The umpire yelled strike 3 and Army JAG could declare themselves the Mid-Season Tournament champions.

The tournament was a great success and ended with two great teams.

‘‘Bravo team was absolutely solid. We were fortunate enough to have some blowout wins on the way to the finals, but the championship came down to the wire — which made it somewhat nerve-wracking but also fun” said Coach Haight.

He was right; this is what Fort Myer softball is all about. The gauntlet was thrown down, but Army JAG answered and answered with Vigor. Everybody else better step up in the second half of the season.