RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Mason Youth Organization Little League's Jason White heads for first with his "buddy" Kevin Carey during their game with Cambrian Park Little League on Saturday at Volunteer Stadium in South Williamsport. The Challenger Division exhibition game is an annual highlight of the championship weekend of the Little League World Series.

Jessica Ultreras, of San Jose, California, arrived in South Williamsport after a five-hour plane ride and three-hour drive for one reason only.

“My son’s playing on Cambrian Park Little League,” Ultreras said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Her son, Jordan Ruiz, has non-verbal autism, but when she asked if he was ready to play in the Challenger game against Mason Youth Organization Little League Saturday morning, he gave her a thumbs up.

“They practiced all summer,” Ultreras said about her son’s team. They met once a month, and were joined by kids on the other teams in the league.

The parents found out their children were selected to play at the Little League World Series two years ago, but because of COVID-19, it kept getting delayed, she said.

“They allowed us to come out in ’22,” Ultreras said. “This has been two years in the making.”

The team’s manager, Barbara Morrone, led the way for the players to come, she said.

“She was really advocating for us,” Ultreras said.

Many of the parents, grandparents and fans in the stadium held up signs for the players, including some cutouts of their faces.

LaToya Goshen, of Cincinnati, Ohio, arrived at the Challenger game to cheer on her daughter, Layla, on the Mason team. Both she and her daughter were excited to be at the game, she said.

“I’m overjoyed,” Goshen said. “She loves the celebrity status.”

That status includes Facebook posts cheering her on, her name on billboards at fire stations and a ceremony that included the Mason police officers, firefighters, superintendents, city council members and more. They brought posters and cheered for the players.

“This is her big opportunity to be a part of something,” Goshen said. “It’s given her her own personal platform.”

Before the game started, Dugout high-fived players as the team took to the field to standing ovations.

Little League World Series teams watched from the stands, including Europe-Africa and Southeast. Latin America and Panama led the stadium in cheers for every player as they batted.

Rickey Henderson, Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer, threw out the ceremonial first pitch and high-fived the players at third base. Even the players high-fived the other team when they got on base.

For Don Maravilla, it was an emotional day. He and his wife Susie came from Florida to watch his grandson, Riley, play on the Mason team.

“Every young boy growing up in America wants to play baseball in Williamsport,” Maravilla said.

Susie said it was exciting for Riley.

“This is a huge thing,” she said. “It’s not something we ever expected to happen.”

While in the area, they visited Original Field in Williamsport to see how Little League started and evolved into what it is today.

“What (Carl Stotz, Little League founder) accomplished is just amazing,” Don said. “It’s a great example of America.”