USAFE A3 Dominates the Central Region Intramural Softball Championships

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nathan Lipscomb
  • 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  The Ramstein Intramural Softball Champions, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Directorate of Air, Space and Information Operations (A3), dominated the competition during the USAFE Central Region Softball Championships Aug. 7 to 9. Finishing with a 9-0 record, the team scored more than 200 runs during the three-day tournament against teams from Geilenkirchen, Vokel/Buchel and Aviano.

The tournament began with a double round-robin event where the USAFE A3 squad faced each of the other three teams twice in order to determine seeding for the double elimination portion of the tournament. USAFE A3 secured the number one seed by finishing 6-0 in the round-robin and defeating Aviano by 25-9 and 25-16, Geilenkirchen by 14-13 and 29-12, and finally the Volkel/Buchel team by 29-8 and 22-1.

USAFE A3opened the double elimination portion of the tournament in impressive fashion by scoring 21 runs in the bottom of the first inning enroute to defeating Aviano by 25-4 in only three innings. The team then returned the following morning to defeat Geilenkirchen's "Hitmen" by 14-4, advancing them to the tournament finals. In the championship game, USAFE A3 faced the Hitmen for the fourth time in three days, and once again proved they were the best team in the tournament by winning 22-11 and ending the game by a run rule in the fifth inning.

Despite the best efforts of the three other teams, there was no stopping the heavy hitters of Deven Olsen, Frank Fortunato, Tommy Byrns and Salomon Vieyra; with each player hitting over .750 for the tournament and earning All-Tournament honors during the award presentation.

Olsen led the team with a batting average of .909, 12 home runs and 32 runs batted in; followed closely by Vieyra with a .806 batting average, 24 runs scored, and 19 RBIs, Fortunato with a .813 batting average with 20 RBI's, and Byrns with a .750 batting average, 8 home runs, and 26 RBIs. For the tournament, the USAFE A3 squad had an astounding .724 batting average as a team, with 45 home runs and 205 runs scored, while only allowing 78 total runs.

"It was a team effort, for sure," said Olsen "We were able to swing away and just have a good time."

The cohesiveness of the team is due in large part to the fact that 10 of the 16 team members work in the same Air Procedures Flight, according to Sheffield Brodene. "There isn't anybody on that team that I wouldn't want to hang out with on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon."

"Out of all my years of playing softball, this is the best team that I've played for, as far as, attitude, comradery and skill," said David Anderson. "It was all for the team. We never got down on each other. It was about picking up the team."

The tournament culminated an impressive year for the USAFE A3 squad. In addition to being crowned the Central Region Intramural Softball Champions, the team also won the 2008 Ramstein Intramural Softball championship, the Ramstein Ram's Pre-Season Tournament Championship, and finished the year with a 41-5 record.