YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Yokota’s Warriors unleashed a barrage of home runs in Sunday’s two championship games that left Fu Sheng, Taiwan’s national team, reeling and the Kanto Kup Softball Tournament title back in Yokota’s hands.

Kenny Wade, Keith Serrano and Dan Davis led the assault, combining for 11 dingers and 22 RBIs as Yokota pounded Fu Sheng 22-0 and 22-8 in the finals at Yokota’s Wilkins Park. The first game ended after four innings and the second after five due to the tournament’s mercy rule.

Yokota needed to beat Fu Sheng twice in the final after losing earlier in the day 14-7 to the Taiwanese in the double-elimination tournament.

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” coach Rob Louchery said. “These guys worked extremely hard. I can’t say enough about their character, to come out of the loser’s bracket like that. I’m proud of them.”

Louchery could be heard exhorting his players, “Chasing 10! Chasing 10!” as they batted.

“We knew this [Fu Sheng] was a solid team. We came into every inning wanting to score 10 runs,” Louchery said. “We wanted to get 10 runs every inning, get out in front and make them chase us.”

Yokota got contributions all up and down the lineup and scored in every inning of the two games. Scott Day, Brooks Veil and Ben Whitehead each drove in two runs in the first game.

In the clincher, Yokota exploded for 12 home runs, two each by Wade, Davis, Serrano and Travis Harrison, who also drove in five runs. Scott Day capped the scoring explosion with a three-run homer in the fifth that gave Yokota enough of a lead for the mercy rule to kick in.

“We practice driving the ball, hitting it the other way, but the pop is exactly what you see. We have a lot of power,” Louchery said.

Yokota also captured the women’s championship but in opposite fashion from the men’s team — the Warriors’ women played three one-run verdicts against the Yokosuka Seahawks, winning 5-4 and 6-5 and losing 4-3.

Typhoon Classic delayedTORII STATION, Okinawa — Wet weather continued to plague the Typhoon Classic on Monday.

Torii Field remained swamped, according to tournament director Jim Perry, and the remaining five women’s games were pushed back to Wednesday evening. The two remaining men’s games will have to wait even longer — Sept. 19 — due to military commitments at Kadena Air Base.

Forecasts call for rain to taper off by Tuesday evening.

Migrated