MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- The 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment “Vets” clipped Marine Aircraft Group 24 “The Wing” 9-2, securing another victory and setting their undefeated season at 5-0 Monday.
The Wing was no pushover, coming into the game with a season of 4-1 – 1 loss attributed to a forfeit.
Vets’ pitcher Tim Russell struggled in the first inning. The first batter for The Wing hit a double down center field; but, the Vets’ defense was able to stop the next three runners, putting The Wing away early.
Warmed up and ready to play, the Vets came out swinging in their first time at bat.
Ryan “Iceberg” Bergeman, shortstop and Vets MVP, was first up. He stared down the pitcher and let the first two sail by, looking for just the right one. With a full count, Bergeman opened up as the pitch came down the plate and made a solid connection, sending the ball to the fence. Just short of a home run, Bergeman had to settle for a triple.
Smart batting set the Vets up to take the lead. A double by Raul Rivera, Vets’ first baseman, sent Bergeman home, while a double by Mark Ashby sent Rivera home. A few more solid hits brought in one more runner, but The Wing decided enough was enough and put the Vets to bed.
With three back-to-back strikeouts by Russell, The Wing had no chance to catch up.
The Vets didn’t have much luck either in the bottom of the second. They were only able to get one runner on base before The Wing’s defense stopped them in their tracks.
With solid hitting and a few blunders from the Vets, The Wing put them in a bind with runners on first and third.
Russell was able to keep the next batter at bay with a clean strikeout, but a mishandled ball at home plate gave Wing’s runner John Zaledonis just enough time to steal home.
With 1 point on the board, The Wing prepared to close the gap. Russell was able to strike out another batter, but walked the next. Full count, bases loaded, and The Wing’s batter wanted to walk. Russell obliged him and made him walk to the bench after being struck out, which allowed the Vets to leave the field after a close call.
Marcus Galvan, Wing’s pitcher, stepped it up a notch and struck out three batters, which gave the Vets no chance to score.
“It’s hard to find the strike zone tonight,” said Paul Matchniff, Wing’s coach. “The ump is just a little inconsistent.”
Top of the fourth, the Vets’ defense refused to give The Wing a foothold. Wing answered right back, as Galvan set three up and knocked three down with a slow change-up.
At the top of the fifth, the Wing made a run for it and was able to get a runner on first. The next batter swung for the fences, but a fantastic grab by Bergeman set up a double play and sent The Wing packing.
The score remained 3-1 at the bottom of the fifth, until the “Iceberg” decided it was time for a change. Up to bat first,
Bergeman made a hard cut on a fast pitch, sending it to the fence for his second triple of the night. Timm Coffman, Vets’ third baseman, made a sacrifice bunt to send Bergeman home. With two outs already, a pop fly by Ashby put the Vets back on the field.
In the next inning Russell was able to make two batters go down swinging, but The Wing battled back and loaded the bases. Russell’s nerves stayed solid, and he put down the next batter, ruining Wing’s second chance to close the gap.
With the score 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Vets pushed hard to lengthen their lead. With one runner on first Russell Recore nailed a double for a RBI. Bergeman stepped up to bat, but having hit two triples already, The Wing’s pitcher took no chances and intentionally walked him. A solid hit from Russell sent two runners home, bringing the score to 7-1. The Vets kept the bases loaded and the hits coming, putting in two more runs before The Wing was able to put a lid on the Vets rally.
At the top of the seventh, Galvan got hold of a pitch for a triple, sending the runner on first home, which gave the Wing a glimmer of hope and set the score 9-2.
With only one out, the Vets wanted to put the game away quickly. The next Wing’s batter made solid contact, but the ball couldn’t get past Bergeman’s quick glove as he snatched it and set off a double play, clenching another victory for his team.
“I just saw the ball tonight,” said Bergeman. “Make no mistake, though, The Wing played a … of a game. They were our biggest challenge so far.”
The Vets will stay in the number-one spot with the only undefeated record in the league. Even so, Tim King, the Vets’ coach said he wouldn’t let it go to his or his player’s heads.
“Everything came into place tonight. We even had a nice turnout from our fans,” he said. “We have to earn every win, and this is just one step closer to our goal of an undefeated championship season.”