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Reserve softball rivalry nears centennial match up

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Caleb Wanzer
  • 513th Air Control Group Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  One of the oldest intramural sports rivalries at Tinker came within sight of a major milestone Oct. 15 when the two reserve softball teams, the 513th Air Control Group Thumpers and the 507th Air Refueling Wing Okies, kicked up dust and sent softballs flying for the 98th and 99th times.

The two teams officially closed out their softball seasons on Championship Field at Tinker with the Thumpers winning both games and taking the 2015 series 4-0.

The series, which began in 1997 shortly after the establishment of the 513th at Tinker, has taken on a life of its own outside of the base's softball league. The two reserve teams regularly meet for a night of double or triple headers after each season ends.

Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Inferrere, the newest member of the Thumper team, can tell a distinct difference between regular season games and Thursday's matchup with the Okies.

"There's just a lot more camaraderie," Inferrere said. "A lot of these guys have played each other for years, and that shows in the way that the players interact. It's very competitive, but also a lot of fun."

The 99-game softball series was termed the Okie-Thumper war back in 2001, when the teams split the cost for a trophy called the Crystal Cup. The team that wins the season series gets to display the cup in their trophy case for a year until the next season series is decided. The cup currently resides in the 513th's possession, and has for eight consecutive years since the end of the 2008 season.

Despite domination by the 507th in the early years, the Thumpers hold an all-time 55-44 lead in the series. The teams have played as many as 11 games against each other in a season.

When the Okies face the Thumpers next summer in intramural softball, the game will mark the 100th time the two teams have played each other.