WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.-- Little league baseball players dream of playing in Williamsport for the Little League World Series. For the Camp Hill Challenger baseball program, it was a dream come true. They competed against the Grand Junction, Colorado challenger team in an exhibition game.
"I don't think there's any better experience than this," Camp Hill parent Kevin Utsick said.
It was a game that had all the feeling of a championship game. Governor Tom Wolf handed out medals before the game to each team.
"They've worked so hard for this particular day," Don Monismith, a Camp Hill parent, said.
The team found out they were playing in this game last year. They were surprised to hear the Little League accepted their application to play in the game. The Camp Hill Challenger organization is made up of more than 60 people between 5 to 21 years-old. The players have either a physical or mental disability. They are one of more than 1,000 challenger programs worldwide.
Fifteen of the players were in the game, but the organization was able to find a way to bring the rest of the players as well to soak in the atmosphere.
"It's the biggest game they will ever see in their lifetime," Monismith said. "It's just fantastic."
The crowd in Volunteer Stadium was more than 1,000 people.
"For our kids, this is such a big deal for them," Camp Hill parent Jason Trumpy said. "We've had the time of our lives."
The scoreboard never showed any numbers, and there was no set number of innings. All the players for both teams got to come up to the play and get a hit. At the end of the day, it wasn't about winning. Everyone was a winner, once they stepped out onto the field according to head coach, Tony Fowler.
"Every one of our kids will carry these memories for the rest of their lives," he said.
After the game, players from other teams in the Little League World Series stopped by and congratulated the players.