HIT IT HARD—Clayton Scharf, 11, swings and gets a base hit during the Simi Valley Little League Challenger Division All-Star Game at Lemon Park last Saturday. The Purple team tied the Gold, 25-25With a blue Dodgers cap pulled down near his eyebrows, 7-year-old James Kirkland wheeled up to home plate looking for a pitch he could hit.

A tee was available, but the young slugger wanted to face live pitching instead. This was, after all, his first All-Star game, and James was more than ready to take his hacks.

The poor pitcher never stood a chance as James whacked the hurler's offering through a crowded infield, helping plate the game's first run.

As his wheelchair was ushered from home plate to first base, an ecstatic James pointed to his mother in the stands and reveled in the glory of his runscoring base hit.

It was the first of many heartwarming moments during last Saturday's 13th annual Simi Valley Little League Challenger Division All-Star Game at Lemon Park.

OH, WHAT A FEELING—Alec Megna, left, celebrates with coach Wendy Kelly, center, and coach Laura Marko as two runners score"He's such a ham," said James' mother, Tammy Kirkland. "It makes me laugh, because even in his wheelchair he pretends like he's running the bases. He loves to do that."

James suffers from spina bifida, and he's been relegated to a wheelchair since birth. His younger sister, Jordan, is also hobbled by the debilitating back ailment but is able to walk with the help of braces.

Jordan and James were among more than 60 youngsters who took part in Saturday's showcase, which featured players from all six of the Challenger Division's regular-season teams.

Challenger Division ballplayers range in age from 4 to their early 20s, and they suffer from a multitude of mental and physical disabilities.

"It makes them feel special that they get to play the game just like the other kids do," Tammy Kirkland said.

"They see them, and they want to be just like everybody else, and that's important. It's great for their self-esteem and for their social interaction."

The kids and parents weren't the only ones getting wrapped up in the excitement.

As has long been a tradition at the All-Star game, several men in uniform showed up to lend support.

Many years ago, Kevin Stearns, a captain for Ventura County Fire Department engine 41, helped rally different engine companies to work the game after a group of professional wrestlers failed to show up, leaving organizers scrambling for assistance.

The local firefighters have been coming back ever since, and this year's group featured firefighters from engines 41 and 46, as well as ladder truck 41, all based in Simi Valley.

"It's awesome," Stearns said. "Some of our guys come out and they don't know what to expect, but after one day, they come back and say how great it was."

Firefighter Kevin Kissane was a first-timer at the event, and he had his hands full trying to keep pace with the spirited ballplayers all morning long.

"Some of these kids can hit the ball further than I can," Kissane said.

Kissane was impressed with how much fun everyone was having. There were no shouting parents or upset coaches, he said, just a bunch of youngsters having the time of their lives.

"You see these kids, and whether they're being helped or hitting the ball by themselves, they're all happy and having a great time," Kissane said.

"The smiles are just incredible. Look at their faces, it's unbelievable."

For Robert Ruebhausen, president of Simi Valley Little League, the All-Star game has always been a perfect way for the league to wrap up its regular season.

"All of these families, they're already dealing with enough adversity in their lives," Ruebhausen said. "For them to be able to enjoy a day at the park and play some baseball, it's amazing.

"I don't have a kid in this division, but I can't get enough of it because I always come away with the fullest heart I've ever had."

With the Gold team leading the Purple 25-24 in the bottom of the third and final inning, Challenger League veteran Matt Williams ripped an inside-the-park home run to make it a 25-25 tie.

Williams, 21, was mobbed by his teammates as he crossed home plate with the game's 50th run.

On this day, everyone walked away a winner.