Senators keep going strong

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SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The Sheppard Senators continue their march towards success in the 2007 varsity softball season.

The younger players continue to develop and contribute more to the overall team effort.

The Senators are undefeated in their division, in Wichita Falls city league play. In their most recent city league outing, the Senator's dug deep to pull out a hard fought 22-19 win against the very determined Texas Sluggers ball team.

The game went back and forth, with both teams relinquishing and regaining the lead. The Texas Sluggers had the advantage of the last at-bat as the home team. This meant the Senators would have to make sure they scored enough runs late in the game to hold off any last second offensive rally by the Sluggers.

John Hirst led the batting, going 4-for-4. On two separate occasions, precision opposite field hitting allowed Sheppard runners to advance and score.

Stephen Dale continued to shine as a new prospect, going 2-for-3. Add to that he hit a towering grand slam to start the scoring for the Senators in the first inning. Dale has three home runs for the season, tied for tops on the team with fellow newcomer Shawn Nunnally.

Dale sports a hefty .727 batting average while Nunnally joins him with a .747 batting average of his own.

Going into the last inning of the game the Senators were tied with the Sluggers 18-18. Several batters later, there were two outs, runners on second and third, leaving the next batter in the hot seat.

Joseph Kyler, who went 2-for-3 for the night, stepped to the plate and delivered a beautiful line drive shot between left field and left center, clearing the bases for a triple.

This helped the Senators maintain their offensive momentum, which continued with two additional runs before the inning ended.

This last-second offensive surge was too much for the Sluggers to overcome and the Senators secured a 22-19 victory.

The Senators also saw their first tournament action April 21.
"It is crucial that we gain experience and play higher level competition," said Ron "Bama" Brown, men's Senator's coach. "We are still growing and learning. This process takes time and it will be some time before we see how good the Senators can really be."

The Senators played a total of five games during the tournament, coming in second place to Bunch of Ballplayers from Lawton, Okla.

Coach Brown said that en-route to this second-place finish, the young Senator team showed the kind of character that's needed if there is going to be hopes of success for the upcoming season.

Yet another newcomer showed great potential at the tournament, Josh Greene went 11-for-13, including one impressive opposite-field dinger, batting .847 for the tournament.

"This young man has all kinds of speed, a cannon hooked up (to) his shoulder and the ability to deliver in the clutch," Coach Brown said. "Look for great things from this guy."

Clift Berger also demonstrated why there is a growing confidence in this new, young version of the Sheppard Senators.

Berger batted .500 for the tournament, but his real claim-to-fame was his staunch defensive outfield effort in the face of strong winds. Berger kept the opposition from getting unearned runs by tracking down long flies, which were causing major problems for many other teams.

While Berger has yet to really unleash the tremendous power he displays during practice, Brown thinks it's only a matter of time.

He said among the many fine new players they have picked up this year, he thinks Berger will emerge as a powerhouse.

Although not necessarily rookies anymore, several veteran players keep reminding the new guys that they are on this team for a reason. Brian Seddon leads all Senator batters with an impressive .800 batting average and one dinger. Brown said he expects Seddon to remain among the batting leaders and to be among the home run leaders soon.

Not be outdone, Seddon's squadron mate Donald Jost has begun to "tear the cover off the ball," Brown said. Presently batting .593, Jost has two dingers and both of these stats are on the upswing Brown said.

Brown also said "Joe Calderon will simply not allow anyone to overlook his contributions as he is batting an impressive .710 for the season.

"On the mound, Calderon has yet to give up the big bomb and defensively he helps secure the middle of the field."

Finally, no team will go far if the shortstop doesn't anchor the infield.

"Clint Wilkerson is up to the task," Brown said. "The consistently high standard of defensive excellence, coupled with a strong .545 batting average, make Wilkerson invaluable to the team."

The Senators regularly play on Thursday nights at the city league complex and plan on competing in several local and out of town tournaments