Tinker splits softball doubleheader Published May 7, 2010 By Brandice J. Armstrong Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The gusting wind was not on Team Tinker's side April 28, ending a doubleheader winning streak. But, all was not lost for the men's varsity softball team. After losing the first game of the night to Impact, they beat the Outsiders at Boomer Sports Complex in Oklahoma City. Tinker lost by one run to the "D-rated" Impact, 11-10, in seven innings. Two hours later, Tinker's "C-rated" team beat the equivalent Outsiders 10-6 in eight innings. Game one started slow for Tinker. The team allowed Impact to score five runs in the first inning. "Shake it off, shake it off now," Will Schmitz called to his teammates from the dugout. But, it wouldn't be easy. When Tinker was up to bat, they scored a single run and the score remained 5-1 Impact, until the fourth inning. At the top of the fourth inning, Impact scored six more runs. "We have to do something different," Morgan Jones, Team Tinker manager, said to the team from the dugout. "What we're doing is not working." Despite Jones' plea, the team held steady at one run, until the fifth inning when Schmitz hit a double, bringing Mike McCabe home. Following McCabe's run, Charles Schumpart hit a triple and three runners -- Schmitz, Will Mitchell and Mike Sherwan -- scored. Tinker had three more runs cross home plate by the end of the inning, bringing the store to 11-9 Impact. Although Impact wouldn't score another run during the game, Tinker was destined for one more. It came in the bottom of the sixth inning by McCabe. In the seventh inning, Sherwan held out hope. From the dugout, he yelled to his teammates, "Let's win this ball game; let's go." But, it was not meant to be. After three quick outs, Tinker lost 11-10. After a disappointing loss, the team held a shared outlook; the second game had to be better. It was. First up to bat, Tinker scored when Jeramy Thigpen hit a double, allowing his brother, Nick Thigpen, to run home. But, by the end of the first inning, the Outsiders were in the lead, 3-1. "Be patient, get good pitches," Mark Upchurch called to his teammates from the dugout in the second inning. Yet, there were no runs for Tinker until the next inning. Steve "White Legs" Moore, Mitchell, Schumpart and Upchurch scored. Even though Tinker scored four runs, the Outsiders scored two, bringing the game to a tie at 5-5. The score held steady until the fifth inning when Nick Thigpen scored an in-park home run, bringing himself and Mitchell home. The Outsiders didn't score again until the sixth inning. There, they picked up a single run, making the score 7-6 Tinker. Due to time constraints, the team thought the seventh inning would be the last and they did what they could to make it count. Schmitz hit a double and Moore hit a triple, which allowed Schmitz to run home. Then, Mitchell hit a homerun, bringing home himself and Moore. Tinker rounded out the inning 10-6. "This is the last inning, the last inning," Mitchell said to his teammates before they took the field. "C'mon, no runs," Morgan echoed. "Three up, three down." The Outsiders failed to score and with four minutes left, the game went into an eighth inning. It was quick, neither team scored. Tinker won 10-6.