Four decades of former Glen Cove High School baseball players came out to the school's field on Saturday to compete in the second annual alumni game.

Big Red players from classes 1977 to 2006 dusted off their gloves, laced up their cleats and took to the field to play three games in the sunny weather.   

"The first game was last year and it was a retirement party for our baseball coach Jon Dolecki," explained Tom Henderson, a Big Red player from the Class of 1992. "We had a double header and then threw a dinner for him and we decided to keep the games going. A bunch of us got together on Facebook again, and once that happened, we got the games together." 

Many players said that honoring Dolecki's dedication and leadership is the main reason why so many former students participated in the event. Dolecki, who coached baseball at the high school for 36 years, won more than 500 games during his tenure. 

"The best part is getting together with everybody and reminiscing on the good times we had playing together, and honoring Mr. Dolecki for all the years he's put in," said Louis Cruz, a Class of 1986 graduate. 

"The best part about being out here is supporting Dolecki because he has been a big part of my life as far as organization and playing as a team goes," added Cruz's brother, Juan, a Class of 1983 alumnus. "In my life right now, I work to do the same thing because a team and an organization goes a long way." 

And Patch spotted Dolecki in the crowd with a smile on his face.  

"They were the best people in school and now they are great adults," Dolecki said of his former players. "They have meant so much to me in my life and they know Glen Cove baseball is a family." 

Out of the three games, the youngest group of players, the Class of 1995 to 2006 squad, won two games, while the Class of 1990 to 1994 team beat the 1977 to 1989 team. 

Rob Kormaski, a player from the Class of 1991, was the only player to hit a home run.  

Kormaski nailed a solo shot to left field that hit the top of the foul pole to give his team a one run lead in the first game. While rounding third base, he celebrated the hit by throwing his helmet in the air in walk-off home run fashion. 

"I really didn't think I got it all, but it felt good to drive home the winning run," Kormaski said after the game. 

Although the oldest classes didn't win a game, their antics, both on and off the field, infused a lighthearted sentiment into the games. 

In the second game, Rick Testa, a player from the Class of 1978, brought a bottle of water out to the mound in while the game was still in play to pitcher Juan Cruz, who was visibly tired. 

"I definitely needed it," Cruz said with a smile and a laugh after the game, adding that Testa's gesture was all in good fun. "I wanted to play around, get these guys to have a little fun out there." 

Although the admiration of Dolecki brought everyone together, the nostalgia and gathering of four decades of Big Red players, many participants said, was also most special to them. 

"I think the different generations coming together is pretty amazing," Henderson said. "A lot of us are playing with guys that are the younger brothers of our teammates where the last time we saw them they were 10 and now they're here throwing like 90 miles-per-hour striking us out." 

"The cool thing about it is if you have like a high school reunion, you're stuck with seeing who graduated in your class, but something like this is different because you get to hang out with people you haven't seen in a while that aren't a part of your class, guys that we grew up playing baseball with," Kormaski added.