Some time around 7 o’clock Saturday evening, the crowd at wind-blown Sal Capirchio Field inside Brayton Avenue Park sent cheers into the night’s air.

At the same time, Cranston West’s super slugger and catcher Mackenzie Beyer exploded with happiness after catching the night’s ceremonial first pitch and immediately removed her protective mask and scooted to the pitcher’s mound to make a monumental presentation.

Beyer handed the softball to her battery mate – Joseph Joel – a 94-year-old World War II veteran who was awarded the Silver Star for his heroism of single-handedly taking out two German tanks and saving his entire platoon during his service in the United States Army.

“Now that was extra, extra special,” Peter Smith, who is the brother of Falcons head coach Jeff Smith, offered as Beyer presented the softball to the smiling World War II veteran. “This was even better than we could have hoped.”

Not to mention that Joel shocked all the girls and coaches from both teams, as well as the appreciative crowd, as he threw the pitch smack into Beyer’s glove without any hesitation or bounce.

All this happened prior to the softball game between cross-city rivals Cranston West and Cranston East – which was won by the ’Bolts, 6-4 – that included what many people called an unmatched historic ceremony.

The pregame activity honored a combined total of 13 players from both teams and their police and fire fighter fathers – a.k.a. first responders – who, like Cranston East head coach P.J. Bessette, were escorted onto the field.

It was a night, as Jeff Smith told the crowd, “to honor these important first responders for their selfless commitment in making our community a safe place and providing a healthy environment in which we live.”

It was a night that came about to boost the coffers of the McShawn’s Pub Back Porch Veterans Association and was bolstered by the first-ever Falcons Field-A-Thon that featured the West players fielding 2,340 softballs in honor of Rhode Islanders who lost their lives in the World War II.

It was a night that came about via an idea from Cranston West sophomores Aris Degaitis, Caitlin O’Brien, Danielle Carmody, Mackenzie Beyer, Marissa Cushman and Kelly Lambrese, which was launched and turned into an impressive donation of $1,005 that they presented to McShawn’s Vets officials Peter Smith, Paul Reed an Donald Giblin Saturday night.

And that money, Jeff Smith announced to the crowd, will be used for the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Network that flies World War II veterans like Joseph Joel to Washington, D.C. to view their marvelous monument and others for those who gave their lives to protect America’s freedom.

To which George Farrell, a former Providence Fire Chief who founded the local Honor flight program, called “The most unique donation we’ve received since back in 2012 and has now sent a total of 325 plus vets to Washington.