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watch her brother and three sisters play ball. “She’s delighted that she can now,” Robbins said. The game is set up like a typical baseball game. The Yankees and the Phillies. Red and blue uniforms. But that’s where the similarities end. There are no strikes and no outs. No foul balls. The teams play three innings and players bats until they get on base. The ball is softer than a normal baseball. The entire opposing team takes various spots around the infield. No score is kept and every player is considered a winner. “It’s all about the players,” said organizer Fred DeSanto. “We’re here for them. As long at they have fun, we did our job.” Before the big game, players, parents, coaches and friends were treated to a feast of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, potato salad, pasta salad, chips and soda. Even big packs of Big League Chew gum. Then, all the players were introduced by club vice president Bill O’Boyle. As Phillie Eric Davis of Swoyersville entered the field, he tossed his glove in the air and caught it. As Yankee Brandon Harvey was called, members of both teams chanted, “Harvey, Harvey, Harvey!” “He can dance, but can he hit? It’s Charlie Hillard,” O’Boyle announced. The Victory league is only in its second season. It is a continuation Challenger Baseball, which is open to play-
ers under 21. The league began in August 2011 and came about because of a 20th reunion of the original Pittston Township Challenger Little League Players. The original Challenger Little League began in 1991. At the reunion last year, many of the players wanted to keep playing. “They were chanting, ‘We want to play,” DeSanto said. “So
we said to ourselves, let’s start a league.” That was the birth of Victory. The teams first played in the afternoon from August to October, but many of the players wanted to play under the lights. So now they play at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday “until they don’t want to play any more,” DeSanto said. “We’re here as long as they
want to be here.” The Victory Basketball League began in November and met every Wednesday at the West Side Career and Technical Center Pringle. They had 20 players on roster. Next up: Victory Soccer. “We have a soccer coach and a field,” DeSanto said. “All have to do is work out the details.”
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Victory relies on donations. Lawyer Bill Finnegan and accountant Jody Guarnieri donated time and resources to get the league incorporated. Llewellyn’s Pharmacy and Sapphire Salon sponsored the teams. “We are so grateful to the people and organizations,” DeSanto said. “Again, it’s all about the players.”
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