The rain fell mainly in Sultan, at least Monday afternoon. (Photo by David Svien)
Some infields are built to withstand the ravages of the rain.
The one at Sultan High School, not so much.
Even as a baseball game went on right next door Monday, the Coupeville High School softball team was denied a chance to get a league win through no fault of its own.
The Wolves got out of school early, hopped the Clinton ferry, traveled down a rainy, car-packed freeway, charged off the bus, bats at the ready, and almost immediately had their hopes dashed.
While the actual amount of liquid sunshine coming out of the sky wasn’t Earth-shattering, the condition of Sultan’s field was less than stellar.
Three nicely-sized divots, one between first and second base, the other two between second and third, were full of water, and the rest of the infield was a squishy mess.
As he wandered by, CHS coach Kevin McGranahan arched an eyebrow ever so slightly.
“This ain’t happening…”
Give the man a prize, cause he nailed it.
After a brief bit of discussion between the coaches and umpires, the game was tabled, and the two teams split up and put in brief practice sessions on the non-dirt part of the field.
For Coupeville’s players, it gave them a chance to stretch out their arms and legs before clambering back on the bus for the drive home.
And, with McGranahan agreeing to let them hit Panda Express on the way back, the Wolves were off to scamper through the rain drops, hauling in fly balls and holding group sing-a-longs.
In another small “win,” the game will also be transformed from a road affair to a home game, giving Coupeville fans that much more softball to watch live in person.
Before the bus rumbled out of the parking lot, the two school’s Athletic Directors had conferred and rescheduled Monday’s game, moving it to May 3.
It will now be part of a doubleheader on Coupeville’s Senior Night.
Game one (the one postponed Monday) kicks off at 3 PM that day, then farewell festivities for the 14 seniors involved (four from CHS, 10 from SHS) will be held, before the regularly-scheduled game caps things.
And what about me, you ask?
I got a nice dinner at Claim Jumper’s out of the trip, courtesy Coupeville parents, so I’m fine. Thanks for asking.
