07/24/2026
Guns & Hoses benefit softball game comes with healthy dose of camaraderie
TRACY THORNTON
[email protected]
7/22/2026 09:45
It seems a bit early, but with practice already underway, Butte’s police officers and firefighters want to get the word out sooner rather than later about their inaugural Guns & Hoses softball game that starts at 1 p.m. on Sept. 26, at Stodden Park.
This isn’t the first time the departments have met as rivals. They battled it out on the gridiron and the basketball court. They have even competed against each other in local blood drives.
Extending that rivalry to the ballpark has been elusive until now.
Butte police officer Jorey Thatcher and Butte firefighter Konnor O’Neill are organizers of the sporting event.
There’s nothing like a bit of hometown rivalry to bring on that competitive spirit, with 20 police officers joining the “Guns” team and 16 firefighters representing the “Hoses.”
“It’s a friendly competition with a lot of camaraderie,” said Thatcher.
Thatcher and O’Neill are hoping sports enthusiasts come out in droves to cheer on their favorite team.
Both men may work for different departments, but they share a competitive attitude when talking about the upcoming game.
Historically, O’Neill said, the fire department has usually come out ahead.
“We just need to transfer that to the ballfield,” he said.
O’Neill is not wrong.
Looking back at previous battles between the departments, firefighters appear to have had a competitive edge, with more wins than losses.
Thatcher, though, is cautiously optimistic about his team’s chances.
“I like our odds,” he said. “We want to beat the fire department. It’s a pretty good rivalry.”
Sgt. Tim Berger will be an outfielder on game day and hopes that he and his fellow officers come out ahead.
“They’ve beat us twice in basketball,” he said of the firefighters. “We’ve got to redeem ourselves.”
Firefighter Aaron Facincani described several of his teammates as true athletes, so he has his own prediction on the outcome of the game.
“It’s firemen all the way,” he said.
In his off time during the summer, Officer Josh Robinson has been playing league softball, and when asked by Thatcher to join the team, he was all for it.
“I like playing,” he said.
The firefighters and police force may not agree on the game’s outcome, but there is an important aspect on which everyone agrees.
All share a commitment to Mariah’s Challenge, which the friendly feud will benefit.
“Our main focus is to combat drunk driving,” said Thatcher.
Proceeds will aid the nonprofit, which was launched on Feb. 2, 2008, in honor of Mariah Daye McCarthy.
McCarthy, 14, was hit and killed by a 20-year-old drunken driver on Oct. 28, 2007. The nonprofit was founded to educate kids and parents about the dangers of drinking and to foster a change in Butte, a town with a long history of alcohol use and abuse.
O’Neill said both departments see the aftermaths of drunk driving.
“Mariah’s Challenge is a great organization,” he said. “We may be in different professions, but we all want to keep this community safe.”
Robinson agreed.
“Mariah’s Challenge is an important program, and they do a lot for kids,” he said.
On game day, there will be a concession stand and admission is free.
Free admission was possible because police officers and firefighters have already been busy rounding up contributions.
“Several businesses have donated, which is great,” said Thatcher.
For Sgt. Berger, while the endgame is to give back to Mariah’s Challenge, there’s a bonus too.
“We get to hang out with our friends and just have fun,” Berger said.
Proceeds will aid the nonprofit Mariah's Challenge, which was launched on Feb. 2, 2008, in honor of Mariah Daye McCarthy, who was hit and killed by a drunken driver.
