Thumpers softball starts strong

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Caleb Wanzer
  • 513th Air Control Group Public Affairs
Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. --  The 513th Air Control Group Thumpers opened its summer season a week late with easy back-to-back wins against the 552nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Eagles June 26 at Tinker Air Force Base.

Neither of the double-header games lasted past the fifth inning, with the 513th's team racking up enough points to end both games because of a run rule. The final scores were 12-4 and 14-4.

The Thumpers almost went a second week without a game when the opposing team's players showed up at the last possible minute. The Eagles played most of the first game with only eight players, the minimum amount allowed to play.

Thumper coach Master Sgt. Joe Brown said his players performed well despite the lack of time spent on the field.

"Although I wasn't there to see them play, the reports I got were that we were a little rusty, but that happens until we get a few league games under our belt," Brown said. "The key is to have less rust than the other team until we are in full swing."

The 513th's team on-base percentage was .655, with 40 successful at-bats out of 60 in the two games combined. Master Sgt. Thomas Carter, the 513th Maintenance Squadron's first sergeant, was the top batter of the night with two home runs and a .833 on-base percentage.

Brown said his player's long history together as well as their personal commitment to practice added to the solid performance for the team's first game.

"Most of our guys try to keep their games polished as much as possible throughout the year, which keeps us fairly ready to play," he said. "Since most of us have played together for over a decade, preparation isn't usually an issue."

Rain forced Tinker's softball league to cancel its opening night June 19, where the Thumpers were slated to take on the Okies from the 507th Air Refueling Wing. League officials have rescheduled the games to August 14. The 513th has faced the Okies 93 times in the last 10 years, holding a 49-44 series advantage.

The next Thumper games are set for 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on July 10, where they will take on the Mojo Sports, one of the major power teams in the base league.