Artemis II Launch Steals Spotlight at Florida College Softball Game

Forget peanuts and Cracker Jack … this ballgame came with a rocket launch that completely stole the show.

Fans packed into an in-state softball game between Florida and Stetson on Wednesday evening suddenly ditched the diamond and looked skyward … as Artemis II blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, just about an hour away.

The game actually paused as thousands of spectators pulled out their phones, capturing the surreal moment a rocket carrying four astronauts lit up the night sky on its 10-day trip around the moon.

For a few minutes, nobody cared about the score.

Talk about a “you had to be there” moment -- because no highlight reel can do that kind of scene justice.

Eventually, the teams got back to business … and the visiting No 7-ranked Gators took care of business, cruising to an 8-2 win to complete the sweep, highlighted by a two-run shot, a strong start in the circle, and a shutdown finish out of the bullpen.

But let’s be honest … all of it played second fiddle to the out-of-this-world show overhead.

The astronauts may have been headed for the moon … but for one night in DeLand, Florida, they stole the spotlight from everyone on Earth.

It's perhaps the most ambitious space mission of the last 5 decades -- with NASA sending 4 astronauts around the moon and back.