This Saturday, August 1st, Salem Memorial Ballpark will open its’ gates to welcome 63 local high school senior baseball players along with their friends and family during “The Last Inning.” Comprised of four teams, sponsored by Coke, American National Bank, Kroger, & Guelich Capital Management, “The Last Inning” features players from 21 local area high schools.
Lord Botetourt and James River High School players will be competing on the “Red” team, and LB coach Todd Smith and Knights’ coach Matt Gouker will be among the coaches for that team. Seniors from LB will be Brae Farrell, Cody Camper and Luke Hale. Representing River will be Garrett Aaron, Chase Oberg, Kevin Austin, Dyllan McAllister and Hunter Wilson.
Gates will open at 1:30 pm with Game 1 starting at 3 pm. The “Red” team, with players from LB and River, will play the “Gray” team in the first game.
“Senior Day” player recognition for all participants will occur in between games, with Game 2 beginning at 6:30 pm as the “Blue” team takes on the “Green” team. The evening will conclude with post-game fireworks and players will receive the full-game experience with announcements, head shots, and jerseys provided by the Salem Red Sox.
“I personally have so many friends involved in this event,” said Gary Walthall, an organizer of the game who is Vice President of the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame. “From coaches to parents of the seniors, all are super excited to have the opportunity to play in the game with their teammates and on Salem Memorial Field. The players are thankful for the chance to play and excited to see their friends again.”
Admission is free and concessions will be available for purchase. No outside food or beverage will be permitted. All social distancing guidelines and CDC recommendations will be followed and masks are encouraged.
“We wanted to make the most of an unfortunate situation and hope to replicate their Senior Day while giving them one last game to play together,” said Sox General Manager, Allen Lawrence. “Our staff is excited to be a part of this memorable event and we encourage the community to join as we applaud their hard work.”
Teams were scheduled to hold practice at Salem Memorial Ballpark on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
