FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Back-to-back homeruns in the fourth inning sealed a 12-6 victory for the Fort Rucker Blue Pythons over the Fort Rucker Cardinals here May 27.
Pythons coach Daniel Longworth attributed the victory to teamwork and solid playing.
"All the kids followed directions really well and they worked together as a team," he said. "I'm proud of all of them for how hard they've worked all season. This was a validation of their hard work."
Both teams were evenly matched in the early innings. Solid hitting from both sides led to a tie-game by the bottom of the second inning because each team earned six runs.
Cardinals coach Timothy Stevens attempted to get a rally going in the third inning but it would be to no avail.
The score remained tied at the top of the fourth inning when the Pythons managed to move runners to first and third base just before first baseman Zachary Christianson stepped to the plate.
After the first two pitches, he stepped closer to the plate and sent the next deep into center field. While the Cardinals' outfield scrambled to recover, he made his way around the bases and put the Pythons up 9-6.
The Pythons' rally continued when outfielder Anthony Nipper sent a line-drive to deep center field. Once again, the outfield was stunned by the sudden turn of events and Nipper made his uninterrupted way to home plate.
The Cardinals made another attempt to rally in the bottom of the fourth, but the Pythons' gloves came alive. After two strikeouts the Pythons managed to catch the final Cardinals batter at first and close out the game.
This was the final game of the season for the Cardinals and Stevens said he hoped it would end differently.
"The kids played hard and hustled just like I expected them," he said. "We hoped for a win, but this was still a good effort on their part and it was a good learning point for them."
The Cardinals finished the season with a 4-3 record while the Pythons improved to 4-2.
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