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460 Battle brings Lynchburg, Salem communities together through baseball

Chris Graham
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(© Sean Gladwell – stock.adobe.com)

There’s nothing like a battle to bring people together for a greater purpose. Blue Eagle Credit Union, the Lynchburg Hillcats and the Salem Red Sox have planned a rivalry baseball game for Friday, Oct. 9 to bring back some small sense of normalcy.

“We are thrilled to partner with Blue Eagle Credit Union to rekindle the 460 Rivalry with the Hillcats and the city of Lynchburg. This inaugural game will be a bright spot in 2020 and something that we can continue each year to honor these two great communities,” said Allen Lawrence, general manager of the Salem Red Sox
The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, at the Salem Memorial Ballpark. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m.

The teams are being drafted currently and will be announced soon. Teams will be made up of local celebrity MVPs.

Admission is free, thanks to Blue Eagle Credit Union’s sponsorship, but limited to the first 1,000 fans.

Don’t miss the action, reserve your tickets early by going online to www.milb.com/salem/events/blue-eagle-460-battle.

Donations will be accepted at the gate to benefit the American Red Cross and the United Way (in both Lynchburg and Roanoke). Both of these organizations have local programs instrumental in supporting the financial, medical, family, safety, and education aspects of the communities.

“Elevating awareness and support for the Red Cross and United Way is a big part of the game – and we’re hoping we hit a home run for them both with donations.” shared Laurissa Grubb, director of marketing for Blue Eagle Credit Union.

“We’ve partnered with the Hillcats and Red Sox for years. We choose to do so because we share common values and a desire to see our communities prosper. We love finding unique and fun ways to get the job done,” said Andrew Alegre, brand ambassador for Blue Eagle Credit Union.

Though this inaugural game will be held in Salem, there’s talk that the game would rotate between the two cities.

“We couldn’t be more excited to ramp up the 460 rivalry with the Salem Red Sox and the Lynchburg Hillcats all in the name of community. A wonderful opportunity to connect two great cities, collaborate with Blue Eagle Credit Union, and compete on the diamond by celebrating members of each community that play a vital role in making our cities move and shake,” said Matt Klein, assistant general manager for the Lynchburg Hillcats.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].