Despite blood, sweat, beer ...
teams survive BOSS 24-hour
softball tournament
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Heckman, Sentinel Sports
Editor
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August 12, 2010 | Sports

The Misfits’ Grant Miles avoids a tag at home plate during his team’s 10-7
loss to the 2-5 Cav. Regt. Head Hunters. Michael Heckman, Sentinel Sports
Editor
Jonathan Harris, Co. A, 2-8 Cav. Regt., uses his glove as a hat. Michael
Heckman, Sentinel Sports Editor
Christopher Colon and his mother, Spc. Daisha Colon, pose for a photo
being taken by his father, Sgt. Lee Colon, RSS, 3rd ACR. The Colons were
waiting for the start of Sgt. Colon’s softball game Friday during the BOSS
tournament. Michael Heckman, Sentinel Sports Editor
A 2-5 Cav. Regt. batter eyes the ball during the BOSS softball tournament.
Michael Heckman, Sentinel Sports Editor
Aileen Maea and Lucky Porotsano grill meat for the 104th Eng. Co. barbecue.
Michael Heckman, Sentinel Sports Editor
Gena Wilson, Co. C, 115th BSB, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div., swings at the ball.
Michael Heckman, Sentinel Sports EditorThere was a little bit of blood from
skinned elbows and knees, a lot of sweat and dirty T-shirts and a few beers
drunk to wash down the hot dogs and barbecue served during the 24-hour
BOSS softball tournament held Thursday and Friday at the Rodney J. Evans
Softball Complex.

A hot, dirty and slightly disheveled “Balls Deep” team representing Co. E, 1st
Battalion, 44th Air Missile Defense Regiment, won the tournament’s
championship game by defeating the 62nd Battalion’s 104th Engineer
Company, 19-3.

Balls Deep was undefeated and finished the tournament 5-0. The team
received a $1,000 check for its first-place finish.

In addition to the benefits derived from wearing a lucky straw hat donated by
his wife, Victoria, Anthony Russell said, of his team, “They played defense
and hit well, too. We had support from the whole battalion.”

Despite the 100-plus degree afternoon temperatures, he added, “It was fun.
It was hot and we got no sleep but everybody pushed through.”

Russell said the team likely would use the first-place funds for a unit ball.

Funding its unit ball is the likely use for the $700 second-place check earned
by the 104th.

“It was fun selling some hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks as a fund-raiser
for the battalion ball Sept. 16. We’re going to try to pay for the tickets for an
entire company,” said the 104th’s company commander, Capt. Adrian
Vasquez.

“We got a little too cocky in the championship game but it’s good to come
out here and get second place and do a barbecue fund-raiser,” he added.
Vasquez said any funds earned by selling barbecue also would be donated
to the unit’s ball.

The $300 third-place check went to the 89th Military Police Brigade team.

Before the 9:30 a.m. Friday semi-finals game against the 104th Eng. Co., Spc.
O.C. Sykes said of the tournament, “I actually like it; it’s a good way to build
camaraderie and have a little fun. Nobody’s had a heat stroke, yet.”

Sykes’ 89th MP Bde. posted a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed.
The 104th scored three runs in the third inning but the 89th tacked on five
runs in the top of the fourth to lead 10-3.

The 104th added one run in the fifth inning and two runs in the sixth but the
MPs had a five-run sixth inning to lead 15-6.

After holding the 89th scoreless in the seventh inning, the 104th tacked on
three runs but their rally stalled and the game ended, 15-9.

The Balls Deep team spoiled the 89th MP team’s bid for a slot in the
championship game and the 104th had beaten them earlier in bracket play.

The 120th Infantry Bde. Misfits – a team that went 26-0 in regular season and
tournament play before losing the post championship softball match Aug. 2,
9-5, to the 1st Cavalry Division Steel Dragons – were eliminated Friday
morning by the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment Head Hunters, 10-7.

Before the BOSS tournament game ended Friday, the Misfits’ Johnie Idleman
said, “We’re down in the loser’s bracket. We started out with a bang but we
ran into the one four-four (AMD) and they put it on us. They hit the ball real
well and we just came out flat.”
The Misfits’ Grant Miles avoids a tag at home plate
during his team’s 10-7 loss to the 2-5 Cav. Regt. Head
Hunters.
Michael Heckman,
Sentinel Sports
Jonathan Harris, Co. A, 2-8 Cav.
Regt., uses his glove as a hat.
Michael Heckman,
Sentinel Sports Editor
Christopher Colon and his mother, Spc. Daisha Colon,
pose for a photo being taken by his father, Sgt. Lee
Colon, RSS, 3rd ACR. The Colons were waiting for the
start of Sgt. Colon’s softball game Friday during the
BOSS tournament.
Michael Heckman,
Sentinel Sports Editor
A 2-5 Cav. Regt. batter eyes
the ball during the BOSS
softball tournament.
Michael Heckman,
Sentinel Sports Editor
Gena Wilson, Co. C, 115th BSB, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div.,
swings at the ball.
Michael Heckman,
Sentinel Sports Editor
Aileen Maea and Lucky Porotsano grill meat for the 104th
Eng. Co. barbecue.
Michael Heckman,
Sentinel Sports Editor