CUMBERLAND COUNTY -- The Cedar Cliff 12U All-Stars were in for a surprise Friday evening as the team hit in the cages at Wert Complex in Mechanicsburg.
As batting practice wrapped up, players were met with the sound of a siren coming from a Lower Allen Township Fire Co. truck as it turned onto Little League Drive. Directly behind the fire truck was a caravan of vehicles, in which the drivers were honking their horns and the passengers were hollering in support of the Pennsylvania state champions, who are set to make an appearance in the Cal Ripken Middle Atlantic Region tournament next week.
Players then gathered on the gravel parking lot next to their field, took a group picture and shook hands with members of the fire department as well as those within the Lower Allen Township community. The evening ended with a cookout.
"I thought it was pretty awesome how all these people can come together and support us," said Brady Hawkins, a Cedar Cliff pitcher. "It's been an awesome journey, it's been crazy."
Cedar Cliff has one final practice Monday before departing for New Jersey. The team's first regional game is set for July 18 versus Northern New Jersey.
A GoFundMe page to help offset the costs for the team's travel can be found here.