FORT SILL, Okla. –
Air Force defeated host Army in the championship game 16-8, to capture their second straight Armed Forces Men’s Softball Championship at MG Dinges Sports Complex here at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Army opened up with an early lead in the second inning and held a 5-2 advantage by the top of the third.
After tying the Army in the bottom of the third, Air Force found their bats with a nine-run fourth inning, powered by Staff Sgt. Tyler Skurka’s two home runs.
Air Force held on to the lead to win gold.
FINAL DAY PROVES INTERESTING
During the triple round robin, Air Force tallied a 7-2 record to secure a spot in the Championship Game.
After dropping games to the Air Force and Navy on the third day, Army found themselves in a critical game against the Marine Corps, after the Marines gained victories over Air Force and Navy. A Marine Corps win would gain advantage over Army based on head-to-head competition.
In the final game of the triple round robin, Army squeezed by the Marines with a 18-16 win propelling them into the final contest.
END RESULTS
Air Force’s victory over Army earned them gold and Army silver. With tied records, Navy edged out the Marines based on head-to-head competition (Navy won two games to one over Marines).
Final Standings:
1st: USAF
2nd: Army
3rd: Navy
4th: USMC
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
At the conclusion of the championship, the following eleven players were named to the 2022 All-Tournament Team, as voted on by the selection committee:
Infielders:
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Aaron Neeley (Navy) – NAS North Island, Calif.
Tech. Sgt. Derek Lambertson (USAF) – Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Tech. Sgt. Todd Duncan (USAF) – Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
Staff Sgt. Tyler Skurka (USAF) – Anderson AFB, Guam
Lance Cpl. Derek Arroyo-Hernandez (USMC) – MCB Camp Butler, Japan
Outfielders:
Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Lee (Navy) – Gulfport, Miss.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Davis (USMC) – MCB Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Master Sg. Johnny Allen (USAF) – Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Utility Players:
Capt. Josh Spradlin (USMC) – RS Louisville, Kentucky
Pfc. Alexis Cruz-Feliciano (Army) – Fort Bliss, Texas
Pitcher:
Sgt. 1st Class Danny Olvera (Army) – Fort Sill, Okla.
Armed Forces Sports would like to thank USA Softball for their support in providing elite-level umpires and attending this year’s championship.