MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- The Navy Administration softball-team smashed their way to victory over Headquarters Battalion’s team during the season-opener at Goettge Memorial Field, May 22.
Headquarters Battalion team couldn’t come back from the four homers and the 12 runs scored in the first inning by the Navy Admin team. The game ended with a finishing score of 8-14 Navy Admin.
Lance Cpl. William J. Bowers, Headquarter Battalion’s first baseman, lead off the night with a single to left field. Shortly after, third baseman Petty Officer 3rd Class Darius Evans, who is a corpsman, was bunted in by second baseman Petty Officer 1st Class Nona R. Sanders, a fellow corpsman, to take first blood as they led, Headquarters Battalion 1-0 .
Then, with one out left, Headquarters’ left-center fielder Seaman Recruit Kevin Flippo, hit a fly-ball over second base to bring in two runners. Left-fielder Lance Cpl. Mark A. Latta hit an easy out to Navy Admin’s third baseman to retire the side, leaving the score 3-0.
The Navy Admin’s assistant coach, Petty Officer 2nd Class James W. Mack, started a barrage of home runs for the Navy team, smashing the ball deep over left field making it a 3-1 game. Navy Admin scored 11 more runs in the first inning retiring with a 12-3 lead.
Headquarters Battalion’s head coach, Staff Sgt. Wayne L. Folsom, Headquarters Battalion Company gunnery sergeant, said once the Navy Admin team started hitting their homeruns, it was hard playing catch up.
By the end of the game, Headquarters Battalion scratched their way to a score of 8-14 Navy Admin.
“We hit really well, but pitching wins ball games” said Mack, a Raeford, N.C. native, about the Navy Adminstration team’s win.
During the entire game, the Headquarters never lost their motivation.
“We played very good fundamental softball,” said Folsom. “We had few errors and our fielding was great, but they just got up on us so fast it was hard to recover.”
Although Headquarters Battalion lost the season-opener, Folsom said he has great confidence in the team and believes they will be a big contender in this years softball season. “They are probably one of the best teams we will see all season. We have a pretty solid team and we are definitely going to be competitive.”