For one night, a House was no longer divided

— -- WASHINGTON -- As you enter Nationals Park, if you peer up South Capitol Street, just over a mile away, you can see the elegant Capitol dome, under which some of the most important legal battles in our nation are fought.

In these polarizing times, politicians across the aisle often use words like "obstructionist" and "draconian." You can almost feel the rancor reverberate across a wounded nation.?

According to Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, things have changed dramatically since Wednesday's attacks at a ball field where legislators were practicing for Thursday's Congressional Baseball Game.?

"Democrat and Republican colleagues running up and hugging each other on the House floor is something we don't usually see," Boyle said Thursday as the crowd roared behind him. "It's a nice change."?

From the outset, Thursday night just seemed different.?

Ticket sales for the Congressional game reportedly doubled in the 24 hours since the shootings, and the crowd sounded as charged up as it does on nights when Nationals stars Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer are on the field.

The crowd chanted "USA! USA!" as players from both teams ringed the infield as one during introductions and fittingly gathered at second base, the position normally occupied by Republican Rep. Steve Scalise.

Then, goose bumps.?

U.S. Capitol Police special agent David Bailey, who was wounded in Wednesday's horrific attacks, embraced former Yankees manager Joe Torre, who handed Bailey a baseball. Bailey hobbled to the mound on crutches before shot-putting the first pitch on one hop to Roberto Clemente Jr.

On Thursday, both Democrats and Republicans wore LSU caps to honor Scalise, the Louisiana representative who remains hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the hip Wednesday morning.

Even Rep. Ron DeSantis, whose constituents are in the heart of Florida Gators country, allowed himself to be a Bayou Bengal for one memorable night.

Republicans such as DeSantis and Democrats such as Rep. Linda Sanchez of California used words like "unity" and said this was a time to not be "hyperpartisan."

A former captain of the Yale baseball team, DeSantis said he may have been the last person to speak to the shooter, James Hodgkinson, who asked DeSantis as he left the practice whether Republicans or Democrats were on the field that fateful Wednesday morning in Alexandria.

The Dems and the GOP have played baseball against one another for nearly 100 years. Remarkably, the series is deadlocked at 39-39-1.

Boyle told ESPN.com how important it is to him that baseball was played Thursday night.

"It sends the right signal that we're not going to change our way of life when these incidents happen," the Pennsylvania Democrat said.

The Democrats reversed an early 2-0 deficit and pounded their rivals for 11 unanswered runs. But this game wasn't about the final score. It was about healing and togetherness. It was about supporting a fallen colleague. And it was about addressing a massive divide.

A 40-year-old from Philadelphia, Boyle measured the magnitude of the moment.

"It's no secret we've been through a tumultuous time as a country," he said. "While there have been other eras in our history like this, like the lead-up to the Civil War and Vietnam, we are experiencing right now a season of real animosity.

"So the fact that we can come together as fellow Americans, I do hope that it's a healing moment not just for members of Congress but for all Americans."

Tragedy and grief have somehow built a bridge of harmony and understanding. For one night, these ideological rivals seemed to identify more of what bonds them than what sets them apart. For one night, this was not a House divided.