Nine-year-old Sean Beehner couldn't wait to show his grandmother his new red shirt.
"Grandma, No. 5," Sean said, pointing out the number on the back of his uniform shirt to his grandmother, Joy Beehner, just after he got his turn at bat.
Unlike many other kids his age, Sean, who has Down syndrome, had never played baseball on a team before.
But the efforts of two Greater Latrobe High School students allowed Sean and other kids with mental and physical disabilities to play baseball this spring at West Point Little League in Hempfield.
"There's not another opportunity for him to play baseball with a team," said Sean's mother, Denise Beehner of Greensburg. "These kids don't get the opportunities that other kids do."
Kim McDonagh and Rebecca Taylor, both 15 and entering their junior year at Greater Latrobe, started the Challenger Division at West Point this year.
McDonagh had volunteered with a similar program when she lived in New Jersey.
"It was really nice because it gave the parents a chance to watch their children because their children normally require a lot of time," McDonagh said. "It made (the kids) really happy, and they were all excited to play."
But when McDonagh started playing softball with West Point last year, she discovered that the Challenger Division, which is an official Little League program for children 5 to 18 with special needs, didn't exist in her new league.
She and Taylor, another softball player, thought starting the program would be a great idea — both for the community and for their high school senior project.
Fred Aiello, president of West Point, said league officials never thought about starting a Challenger Division until the girls approached them with their proposal.
"I was so excited," Aiello said. "I was glad they wanted to do it."
And though West Point backed the project, the teens did all the work, he said.
The teens recruited players by attending Special Olympics events and approaching area schools with programs for special needs students. About 30 players signed up to play the four-game season, which ended Sunday.
They found volunteers to help each player.
Robin Davis of Delmont said she was impressed that the teens launched the program.
"There's still some nice kids in the world," said Davis, whose daughter, Aubrey, 10, participated in the league.
Aubrey, who has moderate mental retardation, said she enjoyed "hitting the ball" the most. She also seemed to enjoy spending time with her buddy, Nick Kovacevic.
"She's going to warm up to him real fast," Robin Davis said. "She's holding his hand."
Kovacevic, 16, was one of about 18 Greater Latrobe High School football players who volunteered to be "buddies" for the league.
Each baseball player was paired with a buddy who assisted them while batting, running and fielding.
"I just felt it was a real good opportunity to volunteer," Kovacevic said. "It was just really important to help so they could play baseball."
Courtney Gaffney, 18, of Scottdale, had never played organized baseball before. She had only ever played with her brothers.
As her mom, Tammy Gaffney, took pictures through a fence, Courtney, 18, wheeled herself to the plate and hit a whopper on the first pitch to her.
Courtney, a student at the Clelian Heights School for Exceptional Children, usually uses crutches to get around as a result of a rare disease that affects her movement and mental abilities. She used her wheelchair during the baseball game for safety reasons.
"She very much wants to be able to be involved in sports and athletics," Tammy Gaffney said. "It means a lot to her to be able to get out and play."
Cody Lizza, 9, of Unity came to the league after playing adaptive baseball in South Greensburg for three years.
"He loves baseball, that's his favorite sport," dad Paul Lizza said. "He plays it at home all the time. He watches it on TV. He's a baseball diehard."
Cody was born with spina bifida, which has taken a toll on his legs. He wears braces and can walk fine. But when he runs, he has a very apparent limp.
Joining the West Point league meant Cody was playing two baseball games every Sunday.
"He hears the neighborhood kids talk about going to games, and now he can go," mom Ruthanne Lizza said.
Cody's favorite part of playing baseball is "hitting home runs," he said with a smile.
His "buddy" Pat Davoli, 16, a Greater Latrobe baseball player, said he enjoyed helping Cody out.
"He's a great fielder," Davoli said.
Sean Beehner's family simply enjoyed being able to watch him enjoy himself.
"This is a nice break for the parents to be able to sit and watch," Denise Beehner said.
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