Rain and lightning force postponement of high school games

One of the busiest days for Section II postseason sports took a big hit from Mother Nature, leaving athletes scrambling for cover and school administrators and site representatives working on alternative plans.

Wednesday’s mix of rain storms and lightning forced the postponement of numerous events, among them 10 softball semifinals and a pair of championship girls’ lacrosse games at the University at Albany after another was called halfway through.

“I pray it’s going to be a good thing. Hopefully, it will help us and we’ll come back with more focus,” said Albany Academy girls’ lacrosse coach Greg Giombetti, whose Bears were locked in a 3-3 tie with Scotia-Glenville when the Class C title game was called off. “We came out flat. Hopefully, we’ll rise up.”

Albany Academy’s bid to tie the Section II record for consecutive title-game wins was stopped with 23:04 left in the second half when lightning struck. The teams were ushered off John Fallon Field for the first time with 23:26 left in the second half and waited an hour and a half before resuming.

State rule says athletic teams must wait a half hour when lightning strikes before resuming play.

“We were hoping to get that one in, and then play the [Class] B,” said Liz Parry, who coaches at Emma Willard and serves as the Section II girls’ lacrosse coordinator. “We can’t control the weather.”

Albany Academy and Scotia-Glenville will pick up their game today at 2:30. The Class A title game between Guilderland and Shenendehowa will follow at 4, and the Class B final pitting unbeaten Niskayuna and Queensbury is set for 6.

“The last time we had to move things was when we had a heat delay, a few years ago,” said Parry. “We came back the next day and played the [Class] B and A finals.”

The 10 softball semifinals have been rescheduled for today at the same times (4 p.m.), with four of them (Class A and B) to be held at Veeder Park in Colonie and four others (Class C and D) at Moreau Park in South Glens Falls. The Class AA semis featuring Columbia, Shaker, Shenendehowa and Colonie, are to be played at Luther Forest Fields in Malta.

Wednesday’s Class D baseball final between Fort Ann and Loudonville Christian School was halted after three scoreless innings, and will resume Friday at 4 at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium prior to the Class AA final with Shenendehowa and Saratoga Springs.

Maple Hill and defending state baseball champ Hoosic Valley, slated to meet Wednesday at 7, will instead play their Class C title game Saturday at noon at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

“The mind-set is you’re going to play, and then you hear that you’re not,” said Maple Hill coach and Section II baseball coordinator Rico Frese. “They’re resilient kids. They’ll bounce back.”

The Group 1 track championships at Shenendehowa were rescheduled for Sunday at noon.