MOOSIC — Donned in jerseys paying homage to the Phillies and Yankees organizations, 42 Lackawanna League seniors got to play one last round of high school baseball in the Field of Dreams Game.

At the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ PNC Field, the Bombers jumped out to a six-run lead in the first inning, never relinquishing the lead en route to a 15-5 victory over the Fightins on Saturday.

“We wanted to win, obviously, but it didn’t matter, win or loss,” Bombers starter and Old Forge pitcher TJ DiMattia said. “You’re out there with your friends, you’re smiling. It was definitely different.”

DiMattia made quick work of the first inning, striking out two and retiring the Fightins in just four batters.

The Bombers offense capitalized, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first.

Mid Valley outfielder Anthony Balashaitis led off with a walk, before a single from DiMattia allowed him to advance to third. When DiMattia stole second base, Balashaitis stole home, giving the Bombers a 1-0 edge.

Dunmore pitcher Max Forgione and Abington Heights outfielder Thomas LaCoe followed up with singles of their own, sending DiMattia home and taking a 2-0 Bombers lead.

Dunmore first baseman Matt Iezzi hit a single to right field, scoring Forgione and LaCoe. Abington Heights outfielder Tate Pentasuglio hit an RBI single to score Iezzi, and Mid Valley third baseman Douglas Pua eventually stole home to create the Bombers’ six-run advantage.

“I think we all kind of agreed that we were just going to swing. We didn’t really care,” DiMattia said. “We just wanted to go out there and hit the ball, so we were aggressive.”

After scoreless second and third innings, Tate Pentasuglio reached home on a wild pitch, putting the Bombers up, 7-0.

The Fightins’ best chance to crawl back came in the sixth inning. Scranton Prep shortstop Michael DeRichie hit a deep triple into left field, before Susquehanna shortstop William Marcy hit a single up the middle to score him.

“I missed a fastball pitch before, and then I got a good hanging curveball to hit and I wasn’t going to miss it,” DeRichie said. “It was great. I really missed it the last couple weeks. So to be able to play on the field again, especially like this one, it’s a lot of fun.”

Wallenpaupack shortstop Mark Nilsen followed up with a walk and the Bombers committed an error, loading the bases with two outs. However, Forgione struck out his second batter of the inning to strand the runners and preserve a 7-1 Bombers advantage.

The Bombers scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, extending their lead to 11-1.

“We were able to play a lot looser,” DiMattia said. “There wasn’t a lot of pressure. You’re just playing free, playing for fun.”

In the top of the seventh inning, Holy Cross pitcher Tyler Musso hit a single to right field, scoring Western Wayne’s Lance Maiocco and Valley View’s Brayden McConnell to cut the deficit to 11-3.

The Bombers added four more runs in the bottom of the eighth, after loading the bases with two outs.

Abington Heights’ JP Kehoe scored on a runner’s choice, before Abington Heights’ Hunter Pentasuglio and West Scranton’s Caiden Berardi each drew bases-loaded walks to score the Bombers’ 13th and 14th runs. Montrose pitcher CJ McGee sent a single to center, scoring Elk Lake’s Noah Gesford and putting his team ahead, 15-3.

The Fightins tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth.

The Lackawanna League’s all-star showcase served as an exciting swansong for many of the area’s top players.

Friends reunited after their final seasons. League rivals — who oftentimes also double as travel teammates — shared the dugout. Some players returned to the traditional home of the district championship, while others made their PNC Field debut.

“Every other sport has this, so it’s one of those things where you want to give these kids their last chance,” Bombers manager and Old Forge coach Tony DiMattia said. “It’s a lot of work, don’t get me wrong, making sure everybody gets in and you do everything the right way. But, it’s a really good time. We love it.

“Everybody wants to play here.”

Overall, for the players involved, it was an experience no one is likely to forget.

“It was really cool to finally get to play here,” TJ DiMattia said. “Being able to play here finally, it’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to since I was young.”