MARINE CORPS BASE TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- Although facing some worthy opponents during last week’s May 25 softball double-header, Exercise Support Division managed one win and one loss here at Felix Field.
Considering ESD has a less than impressive record of 3-7, putting them in 11th place, they continue do their best on the field giving undefeated teams like Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 a run for their money.
ESD defeated 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment 13-8 in game one, but later lost to first place MWSS-374 in game two with a 15-5 deficit.
“It’s starting to get hot out here, and that can really affect the way a player hits and fields,” said Andres A. Ferriz, ESD coach. “But we had our key players who provided key base hits and that definitely helped win the first game.”
The ESD and 3/7 match-up started aggressively with quick outs in the first and second innings –entering the third inning with ESD on top 3-2. 3/7 had another scoreless inning in the third trailing ESD 8-2.
3/7 finally rallied two runs in the fifth inning, but ESD swung their bats for two more runs, leading 10-4.
ESD extended the lead to 13-4 in the sixth inning and allowing 3/7 only one run. With a
gleam of hope in the bottom of the seventh inning, 3/7 tallied three runs but fell short at 13-8, for an ESD win.
Shortly after, ESD faced a much more determined-to-win team, MWSS-374.
While MWSS-374 is currently tied for first place with HQBN (Religious Ministries Directorate) and Marine Corps Communications Electronics School, that didn’t dissuade Ferriz and his teammates from taking on MWSS-374.
Although ESD fell short on grounds of the 10-run rule, losing 15-5, Ferriz said his team is still motivated and will finish the season strong.
“Truthfully, I think we have the potential to beat 374,” said Ferriz. “We were only down by one going into the fourth inning, then they scored a couple runs, which might have mentally set the tone.”
“We happened to make some errors in the [fourth] that let them take the lead, but we seem to hold up every game and then lose it because of one bad inning,” added Ferriz.
Also on Monday, HQBN (RMD) won their ninth victory of the season against 3/7, 18-3, PMO lost to MCCES with a score of 20-8, also adding a ninth victory for MCCES, and AAV forfeited another game this time to Tanks 2.
Because of training and operation tempo, Assault Amphibious Vehicle may be removed from the league, according Randy S. Husted, a Combat Center sports specialist and softball umpire.
Softball fans can catch games Mondays and Wednesdays at Felix Field starting at 5:30 p.m.