The second annual “The Last Inning” baseball game was held at Salem Memorial Ballpark last Saturday. Two games for graduated senior players were played around the presentation of the annual Ray Bellamy Award in an event presented by the Salem Red Sox and the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame.
The first game was between teams wearing Navy and Red shirts. The Navy team consisted of players from Glenvar, Lord Botetourt and William Byrd and they took on the Red team with players from Hidden Valley, James River, North Cross and Eastern Montgomery. The Red team took a 7-1 win as River players shined. Gabe Sebastino was two-for-three at the plate with a double and a run batted in and Kahlique White was two-for-four. Both also made some nice plays in the field. Botetourt’s Hunter Deel played for the Navy team and LB’s Todd White was one of the coaches.
In the second game the Gray team took an 11-2 win over the Green team. The Gray team consisted of players from Cave Spring, Franklin County and Northside while the Green was comprised of players from Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Patrick Henry, Staunton River and Liberty. Jake Weaver from Northside hit a three-run home run over the left field wall to lead the Gray.
Between games the five finalists for the Ray Bellamy Award were recognized. The Bellamy Award is presented by the Salem-Roanoke Hall of Fame to the Player of the Year in the area served by the Hall. It’s voted upon by the board members of the Hall of Fame and the high school coaches from an area that includes the counties of Alleghany, Roanoke, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin and Montgomery and the independent cities located within the boundaries of those counties.
A nice crowd was on hand on a beautiful Virginia day and the Red Sox not only had the concession stands open but provided between inning entertainment like at a Carolina League game. The game is planned to be an annual event.
