Tottenville’s coach Cathy Morano talks to Susan Wagner’s coach Marco Altieri after after the game was suspended. (Denis Gostev)
PSAL officials talk to Tottenville and Susan Wagner coaches. (Denis Gostev)
As the fans chanted “Let them play!” the umpires and PSAL officials said not so fast.
The PSAL Class A softball final was suspended after four innings because of darkness with defending champion Tottenville leading rival Susan Wagner, 3-1, Wednesday night at St. John’s University’s Red Storm Field, which has no lights. The first pitch was at 7:09 p.m., though the game’s scheduled start time was 6:30 p.m. It was suspended at 8:01 p.m. The ‘A’ final followed Lab Museum United’s 14-2 win over Morris in the Class B title game. There is no run-rule in the finals.
“I was kind of disappointed the game got suspended,” Tottenville ace Cheryl Lopez said. “We were getting into a groove and by the time they finished talking about suspending the game, we could have finished the game already.”
The ‘B’ contest, which began at approximately 4:45 p.m., after the announcement of league leaders, was supposed to start at 4:30 p.m. PSAL executive director Donald Douglas said the games couldn’t have been played earlier because of the concern for getting kids out of school and transportation. He felt they made the right decision not to wait to play on a weekend, which is traditionally the case. It was moved this year from last Saturday because of inclement weather.
“The rain threw a monkey wrench into the playoff structure,” Douglas said. “You have to do what you can.”
Douglas, after saying the PSAL would not make site decisions based on who was playing in the game, then came back and stated that the contest would be played Friday at the College of Staten Island because administrators were concerned with travel issues.
Minutes later, he amended it again saying the final would be played Thursday at approximately 3 p.m. back at St. John’s because the two teams’ coaches were worried about rain in the forecast for the weekend, not wanting to see the game pushed back any further. Douglas said the details will be worked out in the morning with St. John’s officials. The game will be resumed in the top of the fifth inning.
“[At 7:09] the game went off, you were pushing it,” Tottenville athletic director Jim Munson said.
The Tottenville players came out onto the field and started warming up in the top of the fifth expecting to play. The umpires talked with the commissioners and then informed the two coaches that the game was suspended and Pirates coach Cathy Morano signaled her players off the field.
“It’s dark now,” Wagner coach Marco Altieri said. “Ending it when they ended it wasn’t the worst idea. … They did what they had to do in the safety of the kids.”
Wagner, looking for its first-ever title, grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a Jeri Gennaro single to score Dayna Williams, who also singled. Tottenville, which has won seven of the last eight crowns, answered back in the bottom of the third when Lopez launched a three-run homer over the left centerfield fence to cap a three-hit inning. The Falcons will try to attempt a comeback Thursday, probably.
“Wherever they tell us to play, whatever time they tell us to play that’s where we will be,” Wagner ace Taylor Sarcone said. “That’s where we’ll be playing.”