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Excitement filled PNG Field well before the gates opened and continued throughout an exhilarating game put on by Altoona and Akron in front of a record crowd of 10,164 people.
"Thank you to everyone in Altoona and Central Pennsylvania for being a part of the all-time single game attendance record with Saturday's game," Altoona general manager Nate Bowen said.
The crowd was lined up hours before the gates opened at 4:30 and stayed well beyond Skenes' debut that lasted only two-thirds of an inning and those that stayed were rewarded with a walk-off single by Carter Bins.
"It's always nice to have a buzz in the air," Curve manager Callix Crabbe said. "When you look up and you see a line starting at 3:30 when we're out there taking ground balls was nice. It's nice for the guys getting to play in front of that. It's a really unique and cool opportunity. Not very often you get the chance to do that. So it was cool."
Despite the disappointment, many felt while watching Skenes battle through his worst professional start, the crowd remained engaged for the entirety of the game.
Of course, Skenes was hardly the most famous person in the ballpark Saturday as his girlfriend Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia Dunne was in attendance for his debut.
Young fans oohed and aahed at Dunne while older fans heckled the umpires. It created quite the blend of youth and age.
"The Curve have a great history and to be able to break a record like this takes both a great staff and a great community," Bowen said.
Regardless of what happened on the field, the beauty of PNG Field was on full display with the Skyliner roller coaster twisting and turning through the night while the smells of the ballpark filled the air.
Fans crowded the concourse maneuvering in ways around areas that were unfamiliar with a crowd that went six-deep at times, which hasn't been seen since the Pirates visited the park in 2013 for an exhibition game.
Nights like Saturday provide an opportunity to see how minor league baseball can be special as a community came together to support hope for the future and the next big thing in baseball.