FORT RUCKER, Ala. (May 22, 2014) -- Fort Rucker's intramural softball season is in full swing and two teams battled it out on the field, but one showed more promise over the other in the fight for the championship.
The 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment's, Swift and Deadly beat the 6th Military Police Detachment's Smoke and Hoses 17-6 in a game where RBIs were king.
Swift's superior offense kept them comfortably in the lead for most of the game, despite getting off to a rocky start, while their defense was able to hold back their opponents.
"I think we had a good win tonight," said Staff Sgt. Robert Ballard, coach for Swift and Deadly. "Our hitting was better, I think, but we both played defense well, but we just played better at the plate tonight."
Swift and Deadly were first up to bat and started on a good note with a shot to center field to get to third base, followed by a pop-up to center that allowed for their first run.
That early momentum wouldn't last long as Smoke and Hoses' defense tightened, and put a stop to their opponent's advances with a play at second and another pop-up catch.
As the 6th MPs took to the plate, their first batter hit a ground ball to second, but was out with a play at first. Their next batter made up for lost ground as he found the gap in center field for a two-base hit.
Smoke and Hoses kept their momentum going as the next batter followed up with a three-base hit to bring in the team's first run of the game and tie the score. They continued to put pressure on their opponents, hitting base hit after base hit to bring in run after run before two consecutive pop flies sent them back into the outfield, up 4-1 going into the second inning.
Things were looking up for Smoke and Hoses, but Swift and Deadly had their chance to get back into the game.
The 1-13th started the inning with an out from a pop fly to center field, but a base hit followed by a shot to right field allowed for an RBI to gain on their opponents.
The 6th MP Detachment's defense tightened up, however, and quickly got two more outs to halt their opponent's advance and get their time at the plate.
Smoke and Hoses started off with a base hit and things were looking up, but a double play by Swift and Deadly, followed by a pop-fly catch sent the 6th MP players back into the field, scoreless for the inning.
The 1-13th's offense managed to pick up steam during the third inning, as they were able to find the gaps in their opponent's defense, allowing for multiple base hits.
Swift and Deadly kept up their assault with multiple RBIs and were able to overtake their opponents and extend their lead by four runs before their third out, leading 8-4 going into the bottom of the third.
Smoke and Hoses now had a lot of ground to cover if they were going to catch their opponents, but the 1-13th's defense kept them at bay and didn't allow a single run.
Going into the fourth inning, Swift and Deadly had a slow start, racking up two outs with no runs for the inning, but that all changed as the batters were able to keep the ball on the ground and hit base hit after base hit to bring in more runners, extending their lead to 12-4 before heading back into the outfield.
Both teams seemed to tire going into the fifth inning, and neither we able to make any headway, as both teams went scoreless for the inning.
As the sixth inning rolled around, Swift and Deadly found their second wind and continued to find the gaps in their opponent's defense to bring in multiple runs before Smoke and Hoses put a stop to their advance.
The 6th MP team mustered up what fight they had left and managed to load the bases during their time at the plate, allowing for multiple RBIs, but not enough to make headway against the 1-13th, ending the game 17-6.
Although it's early in the season, Ballard said he's confident in his team's ability to go all the way.
"Right now, the way that we're playing and how we've played in the past few games, I feel really good about our chances for the season," he said.
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