— Friendship hits a home run.

For young women between the ages of 17 and 20 who are chosen as AAABA Ambassadors, the friendships they make are what they remember from the experience.

“The connections you make with the other girls is a great experience,” said Kayleigh Wolfhope, daughter of Alan and Wendy Wolfhope. She is serving as ambassador for the second time.

Glowing reports of the ambassadors’ experiences may have helped swell this year’s ranks.

“We all had such a good time, we told our friends about it,” Kayleigh said. “There weren’t as many girls last year.”

Kayleigh has an interest in the baseball tournament because she played softball for Forest Hills High School and has gone with her father every year to see the tournament since she was a little girl.

“I looked up to the ambassadors,” Kayleigh said. “They were my role models.

“It’s an awesome experience to see little girls look up to me.”

Kayleigh would be an ambassador every year if she were allowed, but girls may only serve for two years.

The ambassadors will participate in the  opening night parade, Kayleigh said.

“We all sit together in a designated area and get to enjoy the game,” she added.

“Last year, it poured and we didn’t get to have an opening night.”

Kayleigh plans to study physical therapy at St. Francis University, Loretto.

Chelsey Laurito, daughter of Timothy and Martina Laurito, also is serving as ambassador for the second time.

“I made some great friends,” Chelsey said.  

“My brother, Brian, plays baseball for the younger teams, and I’m there every day to watch him. I love the sport. I play softball.”

During the tournament, the ambassadors are expected to attend all the games, where they will sell 50-50 tickets, Chelsey said.

“All of them, except the opening night game,” she added. “We have that off, except for being in the parade.”

Chelsey is attending St. Francis University, where she is studying psychology and neuroscience.

For Jenna Lindrose, daughter of Tim and Jodi Lindrose, this is her first go-round as envoy, but her sister, Katelin, was an ambassador last year.

“I’ve gone to the games since I was little, and I admired the ambassadors and other volunteers,” Jenna said. “It’s been a dream for me, and I knew I would take the chance. When the opportunity came, I knew I would go for it.”

Because she saw what her sister did, Jenna knew what she was getting into and said representing Johnstown is awesome.

“It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun,” she said. “That’s what I value the most. We’ve been working together since the beginning of June. “We have little get-togethers to support the Old-Timers. We had a day at Windber Rec. It enhances the experience.”

Jenna said when the ambassadors go out to sell tickets, they usually go in groups of two or more.

“We got to walk around at Thunder in the Valley,” she said. “You get to learn about others and know the businesses. I’ve made a lot of trips, but you’ve got to keep on pushing.”

Jenna plans to go into a health career and is planning to study radiology with a specialty in ultrasound.

Kasey Azar, daughter of Mitchell and Rebecca Azar, another first-timer, wanted to be an ambassador because her friends told her how much fun it was.

“You get to meet different people,” Kasey said.

“I’ve gone to the tournament since I was young. I was there all week. This is a great thing Johnstown has.”

While ambassadors are busy selling tickets and ads for the program book throughout the summer, they also went as a group to watch fireworks at The Galleria and participated in the Windber Miner’s Day parade.

“We were going to have a fashion show, but it didn’t work out,” Kasey said.

She plans to study child and adolescent psychology when she attends college.

The roles of the ambassadors have changed over the years, said Brian Vuletich, coordinator between the Johns-town Old-timers Baseball Association, which sponsors the tournament, and the ambassadors.

From the 1940s to the 1980s, thousands of people in Johnstown were selling tickets, and one of the ambassadors was chosen as AAABA queen.

As Johnstown’s population diminished, the girls received more responsibilities and lost their “royal” status.