Luke Diamond and Johnny Flaherty of Plymouth were offered the opportunity of a lifetime, to play baseball with other New England standouts at the Red Sox’s Dominican Republic academy with 10 Caribbean counterparts.

They did more than just play ball. The program focuses on serving those in need in a neighborhood called El Mamon.

Diamond and Flaherty played baseball together for many years and had no idea they both applied to the same program until they saw each other one day at practice. They were selected among many applicants from across New England and were the only two from New Hampshire to go this summer.

Every year since 2004, the Boston Red Sox have taken a group of 10 high school baseball players from the region to the Dominican Republic through their program “Lindos Sueños” which translates to “Beautiful Dreams.”

This past summer, the boys helped rebuild a house for a family of four. Their house was a one-room wooden structure that had very few amenities and a dirt floor, which can turn to mud in the tropical weather.

“It was probably smaller than my bedroom, which isn’t very big, and they only had one mattress pushed against the wall, and they’d pull it down at night, and all four of them would have to sleep on it,” said Diamond, who is entering his senior year at Plymouth Regional High School.

For 10 days in July, all 20 baseball players woke up in the morning and set out to work on the house. They would stop half-way through the day, eat lunch, and suit up for baseball at the academy. They were split up into teams for the construction of the house – some painted, some cut wood, some poured concrete, and some lugged supplies.

“We planned on giving them two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, running water, a toilet, all that. And we did just that. We laid concrete foundation so the house would last. It’s a generational house,” Diamond said.

On the baseball diamond, the combined team of 20 played four games against other academy teams and achieved a 3-1 record, drawing praise from the coaches who have been in the program for decades. Diamond and Flaherty were challenged by the different approach to the game but also encouraged by the passion and commitment to baseball around them.

Flaherty, a pitcher who graduated from Plymouth high in the spring and now attends Vanderbilt University, explained how the game differs. The batters he faced had an easier time against his fastball because they were used to pitchers throwing high-speed heat, but he said that his and other Americans’ breaking balls had the sharpness to cut through their swings.

“It’s just that everybody plays and everybody wants to play, and it definitely is a quicker game. You know, things are just a little more natural. Everybody’s a little bit more smooth,” he said.

Members of the El Mamon community where they worked attended some of their games to offer support. Even before the baseball, they offered the boys free fruit at the market and other gifts in appreciation for their hard work. The Red Sox have built a good rapport with the community and were very grateful for the work the players did.

“My biggest takeaway has to be from just being thankful for what we have, and like, how blessed we really are, because going there and seeing the living conditions and how they all still have a smile on their face 24 hours a day, and they’re also thankful for our service,” Diamond said.

They both said they made friendships that will last a lifetime. Despite the language barriers and cultural differences, Flaherty said they achieved their goals: servicing communities and playing winning baseball.