Security Forces beat Fire Department 10 to 9

  • Published
  • By Megan Just
  • 452nd AMW/PA
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  The 452nd Security Forces team won the March ARB intramural championship softball game against the March ARB Fire Department team on Thursday. 

Two playoff games were held the same day, prior to the start of the final championship game. The Security Forces team won against the 362nd RCS/AFAA team, with a score of 15 to 14. The Fire Department won against the Fourth Air Force/SSI team with a score of 16 to 13. That left the cops playing the firefighters in the championship game that began at 6:15 p.m. and finished just before dark. 

"I hope we're going to win, but any way it goes, it will be a good game," said Senior Airman Salido, a player on the Security Forces team, just before the championship game began. "The biggest challenge is going to be ourselves. If we play defense the way we can, we'll come out on top." 

Tech. Sgt. Joseph Legrone agreed that defense would be the biggest challenge. "We need to focus on defense; it almost killed us in the first game," he said, referring to their close score against the 362nd RCS/AFAA team, that ended just an hour before they played in the championship game. 

"We've won against them twice before, but in the playoffs, everything is different," Sergeant Legrone said. 

Tim Holliday, a player on the Fire Department team, knew they were going up the team who had only lost one game during the season. "To win, it's going to take a good, hard-hitting game from us," he said. 

Larry Forns, another player on the Fire Department team, identified their teamwork as one of their best assets. "I'm just glad to be playing with these guys. The team really comes together and gels easily," he said. 

The intramural softball league has been a tradition each summer since before March became a Reserve base. There were 10 teams this season, each with a minimum of seven players. 

"The players are pretty serious about the games, even though the league is just for fun. They enjoy the camaraderie and the competition," said Pamela Smith, the assistant director of the Fitness and Sports Center. 

The best players from the 100-person softball league will play an all-star game at the softball field on Wednesday.