LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Fireworks lit up on the sky on opening night for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
This was the first time fans were back at PNC Field in Lackawanna County in a year and a half. The entire 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic.
"It's like a breath of fresh air, to be honest with you. We're back with our friends, back with our buddies. We can go to a baseball game. I had tickets last year, but we're good to go," Christian Martinez of Dupont said.
"We are usually season ticket holds, but of course, last year we didn't come up here, and they held it off to this year. This is just so exciting. I love coming to these games," Donna Burden of Wilkes-Barre said.
For fans, the stadium looks much different than it has in years past. Fans have to stay in pods ranging from two to six people, and they must stay six feet apart from other groups. Because of all the distancing, capacity on Tuesday was at about 30%.
"It's nice to have fans here, and it's very exciting to be able to be back and watch some baseball," Dan Lesko of Mount Carmel said.
Opening night was close to sold out, with about 2,800 fans here watching. Stadium officials said even after capacity limits are relaxed, some social distancing measures will be here to stay.
"Some of these things will carry out through the summer. You'll have to wear a mask at the ballpark. We used to have tickets that you walked up and somebody scanned, well tonight, you use your mobile phone, and they scan the barcode on your phone," Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Communications Director Adam Marco said.
Capacity limits will stay the same through the rest of the month, but as restrictions on outdoor gatherings are being lifted by the state, the RailRiders promise June will look somewhat like a return to normal for baseball fans.
RELATED: RailRiders home opener