Lawmakers shed their business attire and left partisan issues at the Capitol for a few hours on Thursday night as they took to the field for the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

Democrats defeated Republicans 21-5 in seven innings under clear skies at the 57th annual charity game at Nationals Park in southeast Washington, D.C.

Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) received a standing ovation when he took to the field and set up at second base. The crowd went wild when the first ground ball of the game went straight to him and he took the Democratic player out.

The No. 3 House Republican returned to the field one year after the shooting at a congressional GOP baseball practice in Alexandria, Va., left him and three others wounded. Scalise suffered a shattered hip, pelvis and left femur, and severe damage to his internal organs during the shooting.

Members of the Capitol Police who were there for last year’s shooting also received applause Thursday night during the ceremonial first pitch.

“This year is really special with Steve Scalise coming back. Everybody’s healed up. Just a very positive message,” said Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), who is in his eighth year playing in the charity game. “I love this game. I look forward to it.”

Scalise has undergone nine different surgeries and months of physical therapy since the June 2017 shooting. After leaving the hospital, he used a motorized scooter to get around the Capitol, before moving to a pair of crutches and then a single crutch.

“It’s been a tumultuous ride, the last year,” Scalise told Fox News in an interview earlier this week. “Being able to walk out onto that field again Thursday night with my uniform is going to be a special, special moment.” more at The Hill