Chiefs squeak by Eagles, 31-30, in charity softball game

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Shane Dunaway
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final inning, the Chiefs eked out a 1-point victory against the Eagles, 31-30, in a charity softball game held at Thunderbolt Field here March 25.

More than 250 Airmen and their families came out to show support for either the Chiefs, a team of enlisted members primarily consisting of current or former chief master sergeants, or the Eagles, a team of officers made up of mostly current or former colonels.

"Last year, we stomped them pretty bad," said Chief Master Sgt. Layton Clark, 12th Air Force command chief, a reserve player on the Chiefs team and holder of the highest-ranking enlisted position at D-M. "This year, they were very, very good. The win was satisfying, but it very much could've gone the other way."

While the action was heating up on the field, Desert Lightning 1st Six Council members were on hand selling concessions to help cool off the crowd and to raise money in support of "Ruckin' for Veterans" and the on-going earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan.

"The Desert Lightning 1st Six Council takes immense pride in supporting both local and global initiatives when the opportunity arises," said Staff Sgt. Lorenzo Gaddis, 1st Six President. "By giving a small portion of our time to volunteer, our organization raised funds that will aid in positively impacting the quality of life of those in need."

The Chiefs made great use of the first two innings, jumping to an early 13-2 lead before the Eagles stepped up to the plate at the bottom of the second. The Eagles scored five runs to close out the second inning, but the Chiefs still maintained control, 13-7.

The momentum shifted quickly in the third and fourth innings when the Chiefs' offensive output seemed to lose steam and the Eagles capitalized, taking the lead, 19-16.

After four lead changes and two more innings, the Chiefs were down, 26-22. The Chiefs began the top of the seventh inning with a four-run surge to tie the game. Then Chiefs leftfielder Charles Orf made what was arguably the play of the game, hitting a grand-slam home run to give the Chiefs the lead. The Chiefs would score one more run, carrying a five-run lead into the bottom of the seventh, 31-26.

The Eagles valiantly fought to the end, but ultimately fell short, scoring four runs in the bottom of the final inning to set up the one-run loss, 31-30.

"It's nice to let our young Airmen know that our command chiefs and senior leaders are sportsmen, athletes and that they love competing," said Eagles pitcher Brian Hastings, who also serves as the 355th Fighter Wing vice commander. "It's a great opportunity to get people out here early on a Friday afternoon to share a great game of softball as a Davis-Monthan team and Desert Lightning family. I hate that we lost, because no one wants to lose, but we're going to be donating $100 on behalf of the 1st Six to the Red Cross for the Japanese relief fund."