MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- After months of practice and eliminations, a team of local Marines traveled to Okinawa to compete in the annual Far East Regional Softball Tournament at Camp Foster, Okinawa.
On the final day of the competition, Team Iwakuni made it to the winner’s bracket, going head-to-head with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Micheal Wilder, the Head coach of Team Iwakuni called the final game a David and Goliath type experience.
Before they played 1st MAW, Team Iwakuni started the week off playing a series of roundrobin games.
“The round robin games give all teams a chance to play each other at least one time before entering the double elimination tournament for the championship,” said Wilder.
Team Iwakuni’s record for the round robin games was 4-1. The only team to beat Team Iwakuni was 1st MAW.
In the double elimination tournament, Team Iwakuni was knocked to the losers bracket by 1st MAW.
In the championship game Iwakuni took a 1-0 lead off a Jeremy Press two-out RBI single.
1st MAW answered back with a Bob Willard homer followed by a Chris Wine single, which brought in another run. Tournament MVP Joshua O’Brien hit a sacrifice fly to end the fifth putting 1st MAW on top of Team Iwakuni 5-1.
Then came what Wilder called the game’s turning point. With runners on first and second, and one out in the sixth, Aaron Marsh singled in a run, but a relay throw from O’Brien to shortstop Tim Dawsey to catcher Meaty Hinkhouse nailed Albsmeyer at home.
Wilder argued with the umpires that Albsmeyer slid under the tag but to no avail. “He was safe. That could have tied it for us,” Wilder said of the aborted rally. “That was the backbreaker for us.”
Iwakuni again threatened in the seventh, putting runners at first and third with one out, but pinch-hitter Keith Applegate struck out on a pitch he felt was deep and outside.
Justin Rodriguez then singled in a run, 5-3, but that was as close as Iwakuni got.
Team Iwakuni lost the final game against 1st MAW but that does not mean they came home empty handed.
According to Wilder this championship is the first time in 15 years that a softball team from here has brought back a placement trophy.
Wilder himself received the All-Tournament Coach Award for being the most outstanding coach of the tournament. This award is rarely given to a coach from the runner-up team. It is almost always presented to the winning coach.
“It was good to attend this tournament because it put Iwakuni back on the map as a contender for softball,” said Wilder. “It shows the rest of the bases in the Far East that we are here to compete at the highest level. This was also a reward for those softball players (who) worked hard all year to showcase their talent. What better places to showcase that talent than at the biggest tournament of the year.”
Portions of this article excerpted from Dave Ornauer’s “Vannoy helps Wing defend softball title,” published in Stars and Stripes Pacific edition Aug. 16.