Waterlogged: Rain at tournament pushes play back about three hours
Published 11:48 pm Saturday, July 7, 2018
Richland Parish coach Jim McCool, left, talks with Concordia coaches Daniel Grayson, middle, and Nic Kennedy Saturday before briefly leaving the Complex after the rain came pouring down. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Richland Parish 14U all-star Johnny Hales, right, 15, and his brother, Brandon Fullman, 13, look at the water-covered field on a rain delay Saturday in Vidalia. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Concordia Dixie Youth Director Mike Bowlin walks the field Saturday after heavy rain flooded the playing area in Vidalia. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Concordia Recreational Complex worker Tyler Cupit uses a vacuum to remove water from a flooded field Saturday. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Concordia Recreational Complex worker Cam Rodgers, left, and director Kim Bowlin work to remove water from a field Saturday after a brief downpour left the playing area covered in water. Tournament play was delayed approximately three hours. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Concordia Dixie Youth 14U all-stars Jared Barron, Jake Spears, Preston Higgins and standing, Xander Harveston, watch baseball highlight videos while waiting for their game of the district tournament Saturday in Vidalia. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Concordia 14U all-star coach Jason Williamson watches the Richland Parish-Monroe game underneath a sky of dark clouds. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Richland Parish 14U all-stars play against Monroe Saturday night at the Concordia Recreational Complex. The first game of the district tournament began at 4 p.m. and was on a rain delay after a brief downpour in the afternoon. Tournament play began again after about three hours. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
Richland Parish fans, from left, Jerry Bell, Leeann Bell and Angel Linder react to a play during the first game of the tournament. In a game that started at 4 p.m., Richland Parish eventually lost to Monroe, 15-5, concluding at approximately 10 p.m. after a three-hour rain delay. (Emmalee Molay | The Natchez Democrat)
About 10 minutes of heavy rain caused a little more than three-hour delay at the Louisiana Dixie Youth 14U all-star district tournament Saturday at the Concordia Recreational Complex.
After the brief downpour, the baseball field looked more like it was ready to suit a swim team than that of any other sport.
“The field was in perfect shape before the rain,” Concordia 14U all-star coach Daniel Grayson said. “It was in as good of shape as it’s been all year, actually.
“I was just thinking please hurry up and stop so we could get it ready to play. If it would have lasted 15 minutes, we would have been done until the next day.”
Luckily, Grayson’s team was able to begin their first game of the tournament — originally scheduled for 7 p.m. — around 10:15 p.m. Weather permitting, the plan at press time was to play the entire game.
The field took a couple hours to drain, using a variety of methods. A pump removed a good portion of the water, and workers swept the remainder of the water into the outfield.
“This doesn’t really mess up that much with the schedule,” Grayson said. “As long as we get to play the same day it’s fine.”
Concordia Dixie Youth Director Mike Bowlin said while the rain was unfortunate to see, it’s not unusual.
“We have been pretty lucky this year,” he said. “It’s just Louisiana weather.”
Bowlin also thaked the hard work of the complex’s staff who he said worked hard and fast to recover the field for play to resume Saturday.
“They get out here and bust their butts,” he said.
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