DYERSVILLE, Iowa -- Watching the iconic “Field of Dreams” movie before stepping on to that same field and playing a game is an experience the Cubs and Reds’ RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) youth programs will never forget.

• MLB at Field of Dreams presented by Geico: Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET/6:15 CT on FOX

“It’s crazy to watch the movie and then be on the field days later,” said 13-year-old Ben DeMateo, an outfielder and pitcher for the Cubs' RBI team. “It’s crazy. I wouldn’t have imagined it, really.”

That was the experience Major League Baseball was hoping for during Wednesday’s “A Dream Fulfilled,” a youth game contested on the famous movie site a day before the second edition of MLB at Field of Dreams.

• Details for Field of Dreams Game

“This was pretty special,” said William Brenzel, 13, a first baseman and pitcher for the Reds. “Not everyone gets to come out here and play, so that was pretty cool.”

The Cubs got out to a quick start and held off the Reds for a 12-7 victory, sparked by Eric Delgado’s two-run single in the top of the fifth that extended the lead to 6-0, and then Nico Roman’s two-run single in the sixth that pushed the advantage to 9-2.

“It was a wonderful experience,” Cubs head coach Chris Thompson said. “I knew we were going to start out slow, kind of feeling each other out, but once it got to the third inning, I just knew we were going to win the game. We kept the ball in play and our pitching was phenomenal. It was a great experience for these guys.”

While playing in front of a national television audience on Fox Sports 1 and tickets to Thursday's game are included in the experience, there’s nothing quite like winning -- no matter where you’re playing.

“It’s so fun to be out here and do all these things with all my friends. It’s such a good time,” DeMateo said. “It feels really good that we played well, because while playing on the field is a great experience, winning is even better.”

The Cubs' RBI baseball program launched in 2001 with support from Cubs Charities and in partnership with a Chicago nonprofit. The program has been operated by Cubs Charities since 2018, with the goal of establishing a best-in-class program for baseball and softball players. The program consists of summer and fall baseball and softball leagues, as well as skills clinics.

“This experience is something they’re never going to forget,” Thompson said. “We talk about creating memories and creating experiences, don’t worry about the stat line. Let’s win the game, make memories and we can come back in five years and say, ‘Hey, remember when we played on the Field of Dreams on live TV?’ Hopefully we’ll have a watch party when we get home.”

The Reds' RBI program is a year-round baseball and softball development program that also provides educational and community service opportunities. Operated by the Reds Community Fund dating back to 2008, the program has reached new heights since the opening of the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy in 2014, which hosted the RBI World Series in 2016 and 2017.

“It was a great time,” Reds head coach Daniel Williams said. “You never come to Iowa, and then you come to Iowa, and you get to see the sunset over the corn like they talk about. You dream about hitting one in the corn and you want to watch them hit one in the corn. It was a beautiful feeling.”

When the players heard they would be playing at the iconic site, they flocked together to watch the movie for the first time -- or, for many of them, enjoy the classic once again.

“I love it. I just really like baseball movies and it’s really fun to watch,” Brenzel said. “When we got notified [we would be playing here], I had to watch the movie again. Seeing it again made it even more fun. Just to play here, on national television, is pretty special.”

With the competition in the books, both programs look forward to the unique atmosphere the MLB stadium will provide in the Iowa cornfields when the Cubs and Reds do battle.

“They are going to love that,” Williams said. “I try to take the kids and make it out to a college game, and this will be a real close atmosphere. It won’t be like sitting up in the nosebleeds, this setting will be so close to get to see the big boys and hear the crack of that wooden bat. They’re going to have so much fun and this will be a great experience.”