FARMINGTON – Local law enforcement may bust out the radar guns Saturday night at Hippach Field, but it won’t be to see how fast traffic is going.

Depending on the score of the 1st Law Enforcement versus the Over the Hill Gang Softball Tourney, local police may be clocking the speeds of those fast balls being hurled by those community members 50 years and over.

“They’re going to be tough,” said Marc Bowering, a Farmington Police Department officer, with a chuckle, noting that the old-timers, which include area lawyers, contractors and even retirees, have been practicing in hopes of gaining bragging rights.

Players on the law enforcement side include deputies from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, troopers and investigators from the Maine State Police and Bowering’s co-officers.

The game, which will be ushered in with the first pitch at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, under the bright lights of Hippach Field, was the brainchild of Marc’s father, Bob, of Wilton. He thought getting together to play a charity ballgame would be a good excuse for former ballplayers a few decades past their prime to hit the diamond again.

Organizers are hoping it will become an annual fall event to raise money for the Maine Special Olympics and celebrate the end of summer.

Although the game will be free, Bowering said he is hopeful spectators will make donations.

No goal has been set on how much money organizers would like to earn, but as Bowering points out, “Whatever is better than nothing.”

There will also be door prizes, donated by local businesses to attract more people to the gain, drawn.

“It’s just a way to bring together a ton of people and to give money to Special Olympics and watch a real good ballgame,” Bowering said.

It’s also a way for the public to meet local law enforcement in a nonwork setting. “Maybe watch us get whipped,” Bowering said. “Maybe not.”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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