SHAPE assistant coach Mike Hurd shouts encouragement as Colie Meyer races to first to try to beat the throw of Ramstein pitcher Kelsey Moya on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I softball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
If the opening day of a season-ending tournament is designed to start sorting the haves and have-nots, Wednesday’s softball and baseball action in the Kaiserslautern Military Community probably did the trick.
At least most of the time.
There was at least one small upset in all four DODEA-Europe championships held at Kaiserslautern and Ramstein Air Base. And a few games that could have gone either way. But a lot of contests also were lopsided.
The average margin of victory in six games at the Division II/III softball tournament was more than 11 runs. It wasn’t that much different at the D-II/III baseball, where the winning team won by more than nine runs on average.
Sigonella pitcher Ryan Miniard delivers a pitch on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, during the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III baseball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Alconbury pitcher Andrew Barbee gets set to fire the ball home Wednesday, May 21, 2025, during the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III baseball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Sigonella's Henry Hirst slides into home as Alconbury's Andrew Barbee waits for the throw Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III baseball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem's Landon Bueche just misses a pitch before it heads into the glove of Aviano catcher Cristiano Peterson on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III baseball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano's Jonathan Sanchez came into save the Saints' 10-6 victory against Spangdahlem on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III baseball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Spangdahlem's Landon Bueche just misses a pitch before it heads into the glove of Aviano catcher Cristiano Peterson on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III baseball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Yet a few of those games involved upsets.
Seventh-seeded Hohenfels topped No. 6 seed Aviano 14-6 in softball, but the No. 7 Saints turned tables in baseball, knocking off sixth-seeded Spangdahlem 10-6. No. 5 Sigonella had slightly a bigger upset of No. 4 Hohenfels, 11-2.
It was hard to figure out who the main competition was in Division I softball for top-seeded Ramstein, which hammered its two foes Wiesbaden and SHAPE by a combined score of 41-3. Fourth-seeded Kaiserslautern made a claim with an 8-5 victory over Vilseck and a 14-9 defeat of Stuttgart.
Spangdahlem's Sandrine Bennett yells encouragement to teammate Salma Stevinson as Naples' Carlyn Walker slides into third Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III softball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels pitcher Tyleigh Shamoon winds in her delivery to the plate Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III softball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Aviano pitcher Alivia Adams tosses a pitch toward Hohenfels' Chloe Detar on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III softball championships at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Alconbury pitcher Kalila Te'o kicks up dust while hurling a pitch to the plate Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division II/III softball championshps at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
In baseball, Pool B top seed Kaiserslautern fell to Vilseck 6-1. The three teams in the pool traded circular wins with Lakenheath defeating Vilseck 8-3 early in the day, only to fall to the Raiders 15-4 later.
The top seed in Pool A, Ramstein, won both its games. But it played with fire against longtime rival Stuttgart before emerging with a 4-1 victory. The Panthers twice loaded the bases with the go-ahead run coming to the plate, but couldn’t manage more than a bases-loaded walk.
Sigonella coach Matt McKown, who started coaching baseball in DODEA in 2008, said he can’t remember leading his team into a tournament that didn’t have at least one dominant team.
“It’s going to make for a really fun time, I think,” he said following his team’s first of two victories on the day.
Ramstein pitcher William Schmeidel threw heat and played with fire Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the openign day of the DODEA-Europe Division I baseball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Jacob Vinson hits the ball Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I baseball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern's James Leonard tags out Lakenheath's Allen Primmer after a rundown between third and home Wednesday, May 21, 2025, onthe opening day of the DODEA-Eurpe Division I baseball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern's Rueben Todman beats the throw to third before Lakenheath's James Arthaud can apply the tag Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I baseball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Wiesbaden's Jonah Harvey fouls off a pitch Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I baseball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
One thing that isn’t fun for baseball coaches is monitoring the number of pitches the players they send to the mound log. Players are limited in how many pitches they can throw in a single day and throughout the tournament.
That created a few interesting situations where coaches had to decide whether they were going to use their best hurlers against teams they were favored to beat and have them be limited later in the tournament against tougher competition or not get further in the competition by losing without their top pitchers on the mound.
Ramstein is scheduled to host the D-I tournaments Thursday, with the D-II/III versions shifting to Kaiserslautern.
SHAPE pitcher Paula Knapp throws to first after fielding a ground ball Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I softball championshiips at Kaiserslautern, Gerrmany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Sanai Schneider takes a swing Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I softball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath shortstop Lily Christensen throws to first Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I softball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
Vilseck's Liliana Johnson fouls off a pitch Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on the opening day of the DODEA-Europe Division I softball championships at Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)
