Rain Delays Start Of 2018 Missoula Mavericks Memorial Tournament

The 2018 Missoula Mavericks Memorial Tournament got off to a rough start Thursday in Missoula. The opening game was called off due to one team not making the trip to Missoula for the tournament. Tournament directors worked together and came up a new schedule that saw three games played Thursday and Friday, and four on Saturday and Sunday. With a new schedule laid out the tournament got under way with Central Washington Spuds and Spokane Expos who played the first of three games on the day.

As rain clouds developed over the Blue Mountain mountain range to the West of Lindborg-Cregg field, the first game hummed a long until the start of the fifth inning. Part of the way through the top half of the inning a light drizzle began to fall and at the break the host teams manager insisted to have the tarp drug out before the major storm came, but the plate umpire felt the two teams could play through it and the game went on. With a little bit of quick dry placed on the pitchers mound and around home plate the bottom of the bottom fifth inning began. One batter would get through the inning before the plate umpire called the game due to the rain.

Within five minutes the infield was puddled up as the players from the Expos, Spuds, Twins, and Mavericks tried to cover the field but the damage had been done and the field cold not be properly prepared to finish the game, let a lone the remaining two games on Thursday. After inspecting the field and discussing it with the host teams manager the tournament director decided to call the rest of the games for Thursday.

Tournament directors are working with the coaches to update the remaining schedule for the tournament and as soon as we get word we will update the schedule.