CAMP CASEY, South Korea, Aug. 13, 2020 -- The 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery softball team rallied late in a tournament game July 21, to defeat 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor 11-10, and win the Camp Casey softball championship.
The tournament took place after a brief two-month season that saw 23 teams competing.
The team was coached by Maj. Grady Dacus, 2-4th FA battalion executive officer; and Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Sonnenburg, B Battery, 2nd Fires platoon sergeant. Together, the two men led the team to a 4-0 record in the tournament to win the championship.
The finale showed a balanced matchup with leads changing almost every inning. By the last inning, the score was tied 7-7.
The 1-63rd Armor then scored three runs to take the lead going into the bottom of the last inning.
The pressure was on 2-4th FA to score four runs or lose the championship.
Sonnenburg opened the inning with a double, followed swiftly by Spc. Mariano Rios who stroked an inside-the-park home run, cutting the lead down to one.
The rally continued as a couple 2-4th FA hitters reached base setting the table for Pvt. Hakeem Kyles.
His line drive down the third base line scored both runners and carried the battalion to an 11-10 championship winner.
The championship showcased the team’s talent as they rose up when faced with adversity.
Many of the teams they faced have practiced and played together for the past year. The 2-4th FA players were hand-selected from the battery teams after a series of tryouts.
Despite this limited time together, the team showed previous success, winning the 4th of July tournament, and finishing as the runner up in the Memorial Day weekend tournament.
Sonnenburg, a former All-Army softball player and head coach, is a heavy hitter and due to this, he is usually walked when at bat.
In the finale, he was intentionally walked five times. But he also got his swings in, clubbing five home runs. He spoke highly of his teammates’ ability to step up when needed.
When asked about the most impactful players on the field, Grady believed Staff Sgt. Ricardo Albarran, 696th Forward Support Company mechanic, to be a valuable player.
“Ricardo brings a lot of energy,” Dacus said. “He’s always there to pick you up. If we have a bad inning, he’s the first guy to motivate people coming out of the dugout.”
The team environment throughout the games displayed 2-4th FA players enjoying themselves but also a competitive spirit.
“The team didn’t come out there just to have fun. They came out there to win,” Dacus said. “It’s also very important to the Soldiers because they’re the people who have invested time and money for their own personal gear. These guys are serious. They’re there to win.”
Because of the success of the softball team, Lt. Col. Keith Williams, 2-4th FA commander, awarded the team with Army Achievement Medals.
Williams spoke at the ceremony on the importance of winning, especially within the context of a military operation.
“Winning matters,” he said. And that is the spirit of this softball team.
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