LANGLEY AFB, VA. –
The 1st Equipment Maintenance Squadron 2 softball team came out swinging Tuesday – literally.
Bringing in more than 25 runs in two games, Air Combat Command Public Affairs and ACC/A8 did not even have a chance to play the full 50-minute games.
What did EMS2 contribute to these high-scoring games? “Hot bats and teamwork.”
“We pulled together like a team and got it done,” EMS2 said together almost in a surround sound effect.
After a seemingly physically draining first game, EMS2 psyched up for the next, undaunted by the blazing heat.
“We thrive in heat,” they said, grabbing a cold drink from the cooler. “In any condition, we can win.”
Though ACC/A8 managed to squeeze a few runs on the board early on, the third inning batters put EMS2 out of reach.
Between the 18 batters, they managed to pull in 14 runs. Walt Wade, right fielder, dropped a hit in the outfield for a double with the bases loaded, bringing in three RBIs.
There was also an in-the-park homer by Will Handy, third baseman, who hit a grounder down the first-base line. With at least one runner on a base, every decent hit seemed to herd a teammate across the plate.
However, despite a few hotshot plays, the team agrees there is no one player that stands out above the rest.
“We win as a team, and we lose as a team,” they said in all seriousness.
After a traumatizing third inning, ACC/A8 was left trailing by 12 runs. They needed to close the gap by a few runs to avoid an early dismissal.
With a leading single by Alex Romo, the outlook was good. However, Paul Sleek popped one out to outfield and Aaron Almendinger was tagged out at first.
With one out left, Robert Jones hit an in-the-park homerun and brought in Romo for an RBI.
The team scored three runs before the ending the top of the fourth.
EMS2 would score three more runs, before the game was called with a 10-run mercy rule in the fifth.