EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Dexter Avery of Camp Carroll, South Korea, fueled a two-run rally in the top of the seventh inning with a base hit, lifting Army over Air Force 27-25 to clinch the gold medal Friday in the All-Armed Forces men’s softball tournament.

Army dethroned defending champion Air Force and won its second title in three years and fourth in 10.

Lester Daniels of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., opened the top of the seventh with a solo homer that broke a 25-25 tie. Avery and Rex Swartz of Mannheim, Germany, put together consecutive hits to manufacture the final run.

Ronald Perry of Schweinfurt, Germany, saved the victory by turning a double play, then made a diving stop and a throw to first for the final out in Air Force’s half of the seventh.

Army finished a game ahead of the second-place Marine Corps and two ahead of Air Force. With Army already holding all the tiebreakers against both, the soldiers lost their last game of the tournament to Navy, giving the sailors their only victory.

The Marines secured the silver medal by defeating Air Force 20-7 on Friday, when all games were delayed by rain. Three other contests, Air Force vs. Navy, Army vs. Marines and Marines vs. Navy, were canceled since they did not affect the standings.

Tournament officials also picked the All-Armed Forces team, which travels this weekend to Johnson City, Tenn., for the Amateur Softball Association Class A national tournament.

Selected to the team were four Pacific-based players, including 13-time All-Marine Cherylton McRae, making his 12th appearance in an All-Armed Forces uniform. He’s assigned to Futenma Air Station, Okinawa.

Josh Wiggs of Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, was chosen, along with John Goff of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, and Dexter Avery of Camp Carroll, South Korea.

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