By Sports editor Brian Hoffman
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.
William Byrd players will be competing on the “Gray” team and Byrd’s Neil Zimmerman will be one of the coaches. The Terriers will have six graduated seniors competing, Ethan Spraker, Jacob Johnson, Logan Baker, Nate Hayes, Nathan Sullivan and Jacob Brammer.
Gates will open at 1:30 pm with Game 1 starting at 3 pm. The “Gray” team will meet the “Red” team in the first game of the doubleheader.
“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 former William Byrd coach 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.”
