With liberty and justice for ball!
Six teams drawn from the armed forces, base staff, and the city’s first responders hit the field at Fort Hamilton on July 13 for the ninth-annual First Responders Softball Game.
Four military teams — fielded by the Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, and civilian base staff — faced off against two teams from the city — representing firefighters and the police department’s school safety division — in a double-elimination tournament.
The Fire Department team ultimately claimed this year’s bragging rights, smoking the Coast Guard team, which had won it last year, with a 13–3 win.
Despite the loss, the Coast Guard team was still honored to play in the game again, as it means much more than what the scoreboard says, according to Mike Boyle, one of the players.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t retain our title this year. But the game is a great opportunity for people of the same profession–helping others–to come together in a non-working fashion,” Boyle said. “It’s an amazing event”.
The Army base hosts the annual tournament as a way to show appreciation for those who put their lives on the line every day, according to Fort Hamilton spokesman Bruce Hill.
