OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.–
The All-Navy Women’s team secured its third consecutive title and the All-Army Men clasped their second consecutive gold today after bitter-end battles to the close out the 2024 Armed Forces Softball Championship at USA Softball’s Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
After coming into this weekend’s double elimination championship series as the third seed, the Navy Women’s team got off to a shaky start on Saturday with a 6-8 loss to the Air Force in the first round before rallying to beat the Marine Corps 11-10.
On Sunday, the Navy came out strong, securing their spot in the finals with a 10-9 win against the Air Force in the semifinals. They then harnessed that momentum to beat the Army 18-9, forcing their top-seeded opponent back to the diamond for a second final. They clinched the title with a 13-8 victory in their second match against the Army.
“We knew we had it,” said Navy Women’s coach Gabriel Cisneros. “We knew we were the team to beat. We just needed these girls to come through and believe in themselves, and they did. They played together every step of the way.”
The Army Men’s team came into Sunday undefeated in championship play after securing a 12-8 win over the Marine Corps in the first round and a 26-16 win over the Air Force before advancing to the finals where they again faced off against the Air Force.
The Air Force came out swinging in the finals with a 27-22 win to send the men’s bracket into a second final. But the Army took the diamond with vengeance one last time, securing their title with a 28-11 run rule victory in the fifth inning.
Army Men’s Coach Chief Warrant Officer Five Elmer Mason said the team’s determination to bounce back after the first loss reflected their grit and determination.
“They responded,” he said. “They trusted the process. They know exactly what they had to do when they came out. They stayed laser focused and kept in the moment.”
He added that the team’s culture is “out of this world.”
“The we before me mentality, the belief in each other, the servant teammateship… it’s just unbelievable when you get 15 guys that come together as one cohesive unit and believe in the guy in front of them and behind them,” he said.
He said each of his players take that same mentality back to their ranks to leave a positive mark on the Army as a whole.
Sunday’s action closed out a week of grueling competition between the services which began with a three-day triple round robin tournament before advancing to the final two days of double elimination play.
This year marks the second Armed Forces Softball Championship held at Devon Park, the home of the USA Softball Hall of Fame and USA Softball’s premier stadium – OGE Field.
Devon Park has hosted several marquee events dating back to 1987 including the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship and the NCAA Women’s College World Series.
U.S. Armed Forces Sports is an affiliate member of USA Softball and has held softball competitions dating back to 1972. Teams are comprised of active duty, reserve and national guard personnel from military installations across the world.
The Air Force Men’s team leads the other services with 25 Armed Forces Championship titles. The Army Men’s team has notched 16 national titles, the Marine Corps holds six and the Navy has four. The Army is at the top of the Women’s leader board with 22 National Championship titles followed by the Air Force with 18 and the Navy with five.
Top players from across the four men’s and four women’s teams were also selected during this week’s tournament to represent the Armed Forces in higher level tournaments hosted by USA Softball. The selected players include:
2024 Armed Forces Softball Women's All-Tournament Team
Sgt. Melina Wilkinson - Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (Army)
Sgt. Emma Schafer - Fort Belvoir, VA (Army)
Senior Airman Grace Glotfelty - Beale AFB, CA (USAF)
1st Lt. Katherine Ontiveros - Fort Jackson, SC (Army)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Renee Erwin - Naval Base Pensacola, FL (Navy)
Staff Sgt. Erica Damone - Worcester, MA (Army)
Sgt. 1st Class Mary Joan Patten - Machesney Park Armory, IL (Army)
Sgt. Lexi LeGrand - Quantico, VA (USMC)
Tech Sgt. Kasey Pettit-Castor - Sheppard AFB, TX (USAF)
Staff Sgt. Dana Vahey - Scott AFB, IL (USAF)
Cpl. Brigitte Blondell - Okinawa, JP (USMC)
2024 Armed Forces Women's Softball Team Competing at Nationals
Staff Sgt. Dana Vahey - Scott AFB, IL (USAF)
Sgt. Emma Schafer - Fort Belvoir, VA (Army)
Staff Sgt. Erica Damone - Worcester, MA (Army)
Senior Airman Grace Glotfelty - Beale AFB, CA (USAF)
Sgt. Lexi LeGrand - Quantico, VA (USMC)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Renee Erwin - Naval Base Pensacola, FL (Navy)
Sgt. Gabriella Nowack - Fort Cavazos, TX (Army)
Tech. Sgt. Kasey Pettit-Castor - Sheppard AFB, TX (USAF)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Yasmine Diaz - NRC Colorado Springs, CO (Navy)
Lance Cpl. Joseleen Rivera - MCAS, Yuma, AZ (USMC)
Senior Airman Kortney James - Fairchild AFB, WA (USAF)
Sgt. 1st Class Mary Joan Patten - Machesney Park Armory, IL (Army)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Val Proulx - Naval Station Norfolk, VA (Navy)
Petty Officer 1st Class Ashley Perez - Naval Station Mayport, FL (Navy)
Sgt. Brooklyn Ayers - Kane'ohe Bay, HI (USMC)
Head Coach Mr. Gabriel Cisneros - Diamond Bar, CA (Navy)
Assistant Coach Ms Erin Clark - Newbury, VT (Navy)
2024 Armed Forces Softball Men's All-Tournament Team
Sgt. Thomas Schmid - Camp Lejeune, NC (USMC)
Master Sgt. Michael Tobias - Camp Pendleton, CA (USMC)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey Van Fossen - NCBC Gulfport, MS (Navy)
Petty Officer 1st Class Isaiah Covington - RTC Great Lakes, IL (Navy)
Staff Sgt. Chase Benfield - JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ (USAF)
Senior Airman Bryce Evans - Luke AFB, AZ (USAF)
Tech Sgt. Robbie Fow - JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ (USAF)
Tech Sgt. Todd Duncan - Aviano AB, ITLY (USAF)
Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Hernandez - Tulsa Recruiting, Oklahoma (Army)
Spc. KT Abraham - Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (Army)
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Olvera Jr. - Fort Sill, OK (Army)
2024 Armed Forces Men's Softball Team Competing at Nationals
Petty Officer 1st Class Isaiah Covington - RTC Great Lakes, IL (Navy)
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Olvera Jr. - Fort Sill, OK (Army)
Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Hernandez - Tulsa Recruiting, Oklahoma (Army)
Spc. KT Abraham - Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (Army)
Sgt. 1st Class Steven Cox - Bloomington, MN (Army)
Chief Petty Officer Nick Ludwig - NAS Coronado, CA (Navy)
Staff Sgt. Laquan Gilliard - Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ (Army)
Tech. Sgt. Todd Duncan - Aviano AB, ITLY (USAF)
Staff Sgt. Luis Mendez - Camp Elmore, Norfolk, VA (USMC)
Sgt. Robert McLaughlin - Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (Army)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey Van Fossen - NCBC Gulfport, MS (Navy)
Capt. Trey Martin - Fort Sill, OK (Army)
Staff Sgt. Wyatte Velasco - Luke AFB, AZ (USAF)
Staff Sgt. Timothy Hicks - Fort Leonard Wood, MO (Army)
Head Coach Chief Warrant Officer 5 Elmer Mason - Fort Liberty, NC (Army)
Assistant Coach Sgt. 1st Class Felix Custodio - Fort Cavazos, TX (Army)
