NORWICH – A record 56 students participated in the 4th Annual Baseball Buddies softball game at the Norwich Little League field Wednesday afternoon.

Twenty-eight developmentally disabled students in the Norwich school district were paired with a buddy, most of whom were current or former Norwich High School graduates.

Just a year ago, nearly two dozen children were involved in the softball game, but students were drawn from the BOCES population to bump up the numbers, said event organizer Danny Carson.

Carson conceived the "exhibition game" four years ago after learning about a similar event from a friend, and brought the game to Norwich for the first time in 2012. The event has steadily grown, and Carson, who will enter his junior year in college next year, hopes to pass on the organizing duties to his younger brother Michael.