Finest (police) to meet Bravest (firefighters) in softball

Wade Spees
The Post and Courier

Charleston Patrolman Trent Weathers, practicing with his teammates Tuesday on Fishburne Street, said of his police team: 'We're better athletes,' and predicted a firefighter loss in the charity softball game Saturday at The Joe. The game is a fundraiser for two families affected by cancer.

Charleston's finest will meet face to face with the city's bravest Saturday afternoon at The Joe in a softball game to raise money for two families affected by cancer.

"The Finest vs. The Bravest" pits police officers against firefighters at 5 p.m. before the RiverDogs game against the West Virginia Power.

The $6 admission fee lets visitors in for both games, and money raised will be split between the families of the late Fire Capt. Ronnie Campbell and police Sgt. John Reeves.

Campbell, a 30-year Charleston firefighter, died in May of esophageal cancer. Reeves' wife, Ramey Reeves, is battling brain cancer.

The idea for the game began when police officer Beth Auer and firefighter Bryan Bolick were playing softball together on a recreation team.

They started ribbing each other about who would win in a matchup between firefighters and police.

Bolick is a Fire Department assistant engineer who works at Station 2 at Meeting and Wentworth streets, and Auer is an officer in the Police Department's traffic division.

They thought about the financial needs of the two families, pitched the idea to the Joe Riley Park staff, and the game was on.

The teams this week were practicing for the big game and talking trash about each other. It's all in fun, they said.

The police team is whining because it has more women players, Bolick said.

"We're going to beat them, hands down," he said.

Police Patrolman Trent Weathers, a Team 1 patrol officer, disagrees.

"We're better athletes," Weathers said. "(The fire- fighters) are big and strong, but I think we're in better shape."

Weathers is a 2006 graduate of The Citadel, where he played center field for the Bulldogs' baseball team.

Capt. Howard Bazemore, who also works at Fire Station 2, is the Fire Department softball team captain.

Police Capt. Naomi Broughton, special operations supervisor, is his police counterpart.

Her team members said they have a few advantages over the firefighters.

They are more organized in that they have a designated pitcher: Sgt. George Bradley, the police department's Team 2 patrol sergeant.

Tickets for the game will be available Saturday at the stadium before the game, and organizers are asking that people donate additional money for the charity when they purchase them.

T-shirts to commemorate the game will be sold during the event for $15.

"On the front it's going to have half of a police badge and half of a firefighter's badge, kind of melded together," said Lauren Mosher, police crime intelligence analyst.

Reach Nadine Parks at 937-5573 or nparks@postandcourier.com.