The inaugural At Bats for Autism Acceptance Invitational brought together teams, communities, and supporters from across South Jersey and beyond for a weekend centered on competition, awareness, and impact. Held on April 13–14, 2024, the event successfully combined high-level softball with a meaningful mission—raising awareness and support for autism acceptance.

Despite weather challenges and scheduling conflicts that required the event to scale back from eight games to six, the weekend delivered an outstanding experience for players, coaches, families, and supporters. The event showcased competitive softball while reinforcing the power of sports to bring communities together for a greater cause.

Saturday’s action opened with Atlantic City defeating Doane 14–2 in the first game in event history. Ocean City followed with a strong 7–0 victory over Holy Cross, continuing the Cape-Atlantic League’s impressive start to the tournament. Egg Harbor Township completed the Saturday CAL sweep with a 4–1 win over Lenape.

Competition continued Sunday with Buena earning a 6–1 victory over Gloucester Catholic. In one of the weekend’s standout performances, OLMA’s Emma Douglas led her team to victory over Holy Spirit with a dominant pitching performance while also contributing offensively. Kingsway closed out the inaugural event by becoming the only non-CAL team to record a win, defeating Middle Township 9–3.

Beyond the scores, the At Bats for Autism Invitational established itself as more than just a softball tournament. The event created an atmosphere centered on awareness, inclusion, community support, and connection. Coaches, players, families, and spectators all played a role in helping launch what has quickly become a meaningful annual tradition.

The success of the inaugural tournament laid the foundation for future growth, expanded community involvement, increased livestream coverage, and larger fundraising opportunities in support of autism awareness initiatives. As the event continues to evolve, the mission remains the same: using the game of softball as a platform to make a lasting impact both on and off the field.

Thank you to every athlete, coach, volunteer, sponsor, and supporter who helped make the first At Bats for Autism Invitational a success. We look forward to building on this momentum for years to come. To view livestream recordings from each game, click the graphics below.