Pikus Denis, 15, takes his turn at glow-in-the-dark bowling with fellow members of the Moldovan little league team at Rural Hall Bowling Lanes Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013. (Lauren Carroll/Journal)

RURAL HALL, N.C. — There was little hint that the teenage bowlers walking into Rural Hall Bowling Lanes on Thursday afternoon had come from thousands of miles away.

Some wore Adidas T-shirts, and many wore baseball caps. Some played with their phones while awaiting their turn, snacking on Pepsis and peanut butter crackers while ribbing each other over gutter balls.

Only, the good-natured ribbing was in another language.

A day after arriving in Winston-Salem, the Little League team from Moldova got its first taste of American culture on Thursday, first touring Old Salem before spending the afternoon at the bowling alley.

The team is in town for two weeks to take part in a baseball series with players from Southwest Forysth Little League, as well as explore North Carolina.

Today, they’ll have breakfast at Krispy Kreme and experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Dixie Classic Fair.

The baseball series gets started tonight at BBT Ballpark when Southwest Forsyth Little League and Moldova take the field for opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m.

Jerry Tuttle, the owner of the bowling alley, immediately agreed to participate when organizers with the Lions Club approached him with the idea. It was the first time bowling for many of the children, which resulted in improvisation on a few of their rolls.

Watching the children experience something new was a thrill, Tuttle said.

“I think it’s great, that’s why we do this for them,” he said. “They’re just having a good time, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Eugene Fields, who has been involved with the Lions Club for 37 years, coordinated the bowling outing and sat with his wife, Shirley, at a table in the back, smiling as he watched the action.

He couldn’t understand much of what they were saying, but laughter is a universal language.

“It’s fantastic — fantastic,” he said. “It’s good to see the kids happy.”

Vadim Balan, a 20-year old pitcher who is helping coach the Moldovan team, said that the trip fulfills a lifelong dream.

“It’s great, it’s very exciting,” he said. “I don’t have the words, really.”

Balan said that many children in Moldova dream of travelling to the United States but few actually have the opportunity.

The trip, however, is more than an opportunity for sightseeing for Balan, who will throw a bullpen session next week for scouts from the New York Yankees and New York Mets.

Balan said his fastball tops out around 95 mph, but he’s still a little rough around the edges.

“I don’t have a lot of experience,” he said. “I need to improve my velocity, my mechanics and my experience.”

For the past two years, he has attended the Major League Baseball European Development Academy where he had a chance to work with Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin and Bruce Hurst, a former pitcher with the Boston Red Sox.

Although baseball is gaining popularity in Moldova, Balan said the game is still a distant third behind soccer and boxing. A baseball federation was officially formed to promote it in 1992.

Balan said he was introduced to the game by a friend before falling in love with it when he was 15.

“He said, ‘Do you want to play baseball?’ Balan said. “I said, ‘What’s baseball?’”

Now, with an opportunity to showcase his talents for scouts, Balan wants to extend his stay in America to chase the dream.

“I’m going to try,” he said. “It’s my chance.”

By Brant Wilkerson-New/Winston-Salem Journal