Camp Humphreys is proving to be a generous host -- thus far -- during Korea's season-ending string of softball tournaments, at least where Yongsan Garrison is concerned.

Area II captured the championships in the 8th U.S. Army company-level, women's and over-33 tournaments over the weekend at Humphreys:

-- In an all-Yongsan battle Special United States Liaison Advisor Korea routed Air Force Special Operations Command-Korea 24-9 in Sunday's company-level final.

-- Area II's women easily downed host Area III 11-0 for the women's crown.

-- The tightest of the lot came in the over-33 championship, in which Area II outlasted Area III 23-22 in a see-saw battle.

In the 1990s, Abisha Uhl was part of the foundation of Kubasaki's great girls soccer teams to come. The midfielder-striker helped the Dragons to a semifinal berth in the Far East tournament in 2000, after Kubasaki had won Pacific invitational tournament titles in 1997 and '99. Those were the forerunners of the Dragons' Far East championship teams in 2002 and '03.

Following on my post re: former Pacific Air Forces softball star Joe Renteria a bit ago, his Pope Air Force Base team just got finished winning the Southern Softball Association of America's military worlds tournament at Peter Creek, N.C. Jason Bender, Jay Cortez, Jude Landry and Scott Adam were named All-World selections.

The weekend tournament included teams from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Langley Air Force Base, Va., Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.; Army teams from Fort Jackson, S.C., and Fort Gordon, Ga.; and a Marine team from Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., among others.

Notre Dame football alumni dating back to the 1970s got a chance to wake up the echoes and shake down the thunder one more time, defeating Team Japan 19-3 in the first Notre Dame Japan Bowl on Saturday at the posh Tokyo Dome.

Lou Holtz, who coached the Fighting Irish to their last national championship 21 years ago, was at the helm once more, with alums such as Tony Rice throttling a Japanese national team that won the IFAF World Cup of American Football in 1999 and 2003 and lost to Team USA in overtime two years ago.

Pulling up to the softball field at Camp Hansen's athletics complex on Okinawa, one would have thought that the Hansen Open Softball Tournament on Friday included a women's bracket, since the Firecracker Shootout champion Yard Busters were on the field.

But open further inspection ... they were the lone women's team in a nine-team field that included unit- and open-level teams, most preparing for next month's Marine Corps Far East Regional Tournament at Camp Foster.

It was something the players wanted to do; with so few on-island women's teams, "they wanted to play against men," coach Lance Jones said.

Make that seven soldiers bound for an All-Army softball tryout camp, the latest one Melanie A. Lynch, a first lieutenant out of Suwon Air Base, South Korea. She'll head to Fort Indiantown Gap for the women's camp Aug. 26-Sept. 18.
If selected, she'll play for the All-Army team in the All-Armed Forces women's tournament Sept. 19-24 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. The All-Armed Forces team then plays in the Amateur Softball Association national Class A championship Oct. 1-5 at ASA's national headquarters in Oklahoma City.

Sad day on Okinawa. Erin Harding, dedicated triathloner and wife of Club Red and Marine Corps Base Camp Butler softball pitcher Todd Harding, was hit on Route 58 Thursday morning while en route to swim practice. Broken pelvis, fractured hip socket, three fractured vertebrae, to go with face, shoulder and leg injuries. She's in the intensive care unit at U.S. Naval Hospital Camp Lester. Please keep her, and the Harding family, in your prayers.

Rummaging through the e-mail inbox, got a missive from a guy who's lived, breathed, eaten and slept Air Force softball since breaking in with the old Kadena Falcons in 1982.

Joe Renteria, arguably the greatest leadoff hitter in All-Air Force softball history, got his start by helping Kadena capture the 1982 Pacific Air Forces tournament. He and the Killer B's of 1984, Bear Brownell, Rich Boshart, Bubba Beck, Jeff "Boom-Boom" Brown, then captured the old Amateur Softball Association Pacific metro championship at Naval Communications Station, Philippines -- the old San Miguel tournament -- in 1984. Later that summer, Joe's wife, Denni, pitched a rare perfect game for the Lady Falcons in the PACAF tournament at Kadena.

Congratulations to the Pacific Six soldiers headed to All-Army men's softball tryout camp Aug. 26-Sept. 18 at Fort Benning, Ga.

Leading the way, natch, is Elmer Mason, the third-year All-Army team captain. Ma$e batted .700 and .792 and led Army to the last two All-Armed Forces team titles and now has a chance to make it a three-bagger.

He's joined by veteran infielders William "Buck" Buchanan and Desmond Ray of Camp Humphreys and Jordan Dempsey of Camp Casey; and outfielder Chris "Smoke" Stevens and infielder George "Ice" Isla of Okinawa's American Legion.