SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — One week after falling to Texas here in South Williamsport, the boys from Hollidaysburg Little League were back on the field here at Lamade Stadium for a nail-biting rematch.
From heartbreak to a hot streak, the Pennsylvania team took a loss in its first game of the Little League World Series, but facing elimination, the kids quickly turned things around.
The "Bull Power" chants intensified as the team rattled off three straight wins, including a 10-nothing rout of the team from the Great Lakes region.
Fans from Hollidaysburg could hardly believe what they had seen.
"We are just out of our skin that we can come and do this. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Beverly Richards, Hollidaysburg.
"It's surreal. It's so exciting. I go to work in between games, I try to, and I can't focus on anything. It's just baseball," said Megan Dively.
Megan, watching her son Alex play on Little League's biggest stage, says the series has been a blur.
She was still confident ahead of the team's toughest test, facing off against a Pearland, Texas, team that won the first meeting 8-3.
Megan had just one thing on her mind.
"A win, a big win. I don't like the close ones. They make me too nervous," she said.
"It's not like it's the first time we've had a rematch. We got to come back and face the team we lost to, both at states and regionals. It's been a lot of redemption," said Jason Link.
Jason Link's son, Chase, has been a big part of the team's resurgence, rocketing three home runs in the series. His father hoped to see the bats come alive again.
It's been fun. It's been nice to see him kinda get back into him and letting the pressure kind of slide off," Jason said.
Just before Hollidaysburg entered Lamade Stadium with a head of steam, they heard an encouraging word from Matt Jones, head baseball coach at Shippensburg University, where Hollidaysburg Manager Jim McGough played.
"There's a lot that goes on here. Just to try and reel it in and focus on the next pitch," Jones said.
The stadium filled up again as fans from across the commonwealth anxiously watched the first moments, knowing the importance of every pitch.
But "Bull Power" would sadly not be enough to propel the Hollidaysburg team past a tough Texas team that displayed power of its own, taking the victory 8-4.
While their time here at the Little League World Series may be over, Hollidaysburg players, parents, and fans will not forget their time in South Williamsport.
Want to see what the Little League World Series was like in1983? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube.