The Fire Department beats the Police Department, 8-7 in the Guns-N-Hoses Charity Softball Game

Fire department catcher Mary Phillips tosses out a doughnut that was pitched as a joke to the police department’s first batter.

By: Alicia Petska | Lynchburg News and Advance
Published: July 21, 2008

Just desserts were served up in more ways than one Sunday during a charity softball game between Lynchburg’s police and fire departments.

The firefighters, dressed appropriately in red shirts, used their first turn on the pitcher’s mound to toss, not a ball, but rather a surprise doughnut out to the officer at bat.

The fried missile drew shouts of laughter from the stands, and may have tipped the scales in the department’s favor. It was the firefighters who tasted sweet victory that afternoon, after suffering a blistering defeat in an earlier game of interdepartmental dodge ball.

“I’m very proud all that trash talking paid off,” firefighter and game co-organizer Anthony Andrews said afterward with a laugh, referencing the many friendly barbs exchanged by the two teams.

This first responder face-off, played at City Stadium, was a new event dubbed the Guns-N-Hoses Charity Softball Game.

The game, which organizers plan to make an annual event, both raised money for two charities and allowed the community to see its public safety officers in a different light.

All proceeds will be split evenly between the Special Olympics, chosen by the police department, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, selected by the firefighters. Fundraising totals were not available Sunday, but organizers estimated it was several thousand dollars.

A couple hundred people filled the stands at the game, braving the heat to show their support for the teams. The final score, after about an hour of play, was Lynchburg Fire Department 8, Lynchburg Police Department 7.

“We had to give them one today,” joked police officer and game co-organizer Beth Bunch. “We had to throw them a bone, just so they’d keep playing with us.”

Andrews, Bunch and fire marshal Greg Wormser came up with the idea for Guns-N-Hoses, inspired by a similar event in another community. Close to 40 police officers and firefighters took part in the game.

“This was all about raising money for the charities,” Wormser said. “It’s all about trying to help people in need.”

The teams played a total of six innings. The game had to be cut short so the Hillcats, who volunteered the use of their field, could prepare for their own game at 6 p.m.