Weather (again) wreaks havoc on diamonds
By Tom Williams
LISBON
Mother Nature has thrown another fastball past the high school baseball and softball tournament directors trying to get their district competition completed.
Wednesday’s morning showers prompted the quick cancellation of all but three baseball games at Struthers’ Bob Cene Park. The two previously suspended games finished. Columbiana and Springfield started their game on Cene 1 but it was suspended in the third inning by a thunderstorm with Springfield ahead, 14-1. The game is scheduled to resume today at 4:30 p.m.
Most of Wednesday’s softball games were postponed by noon. The one site hoping to get two games in was Lisbon’s Division III tournament (South Range versus Mineral Ridge, Ursuline vs. East Palestine).
Jeff DeRose, South Range assistant coach, said the sky was bright when the Raiders arrived at Dickey Field at 3:30 p.m.
“Even though the tarp was still on the infield, we had the girls out warming up,” DeRose said.
By 4:15, the skies had darkened and a steady rain began to fall.
Joe Siefke, Lisbon High principal and tournament director, dismissed the teams at 4:25 p.m., shortly after thunder rumbled.
Because the outfield already is saturated, Siefke said the tournament won’t resume until Friday at 4:30 p.m. The championship game has been moved to Saturday, at a time to be determined.
At other softball sites, sectional finals still need to be played in Div. I and IV. Weather permitting, the Div. I games will begin today at 3 p.m. at Boardman’s Fields of Dreams with the Canfield-Howland contest. Warren Harding-Boardman will follow.
In baseball, Cene Park tournament director Dave Smercansky has rescheduled the Division I and II district semifinals for today.
If all three Cene fields are available, the Div. I games will be played at 4:30 p.m. and the Div. II games will follow. If only two are ready, one of the Div. I games will be on hold until Columbiana-Springfield finish.