For Tottenville (N.Y.) High and Wagner (N.Y.) High, Wednesday's PSAL Class A softball title game was supposed to crown a city champion.
But instead of watching a team hoist the trophy, both were left fuming over a decision to suspend the game due to darkness after just four innings with Tottenville leading 4-1.
As the New York Daily News reported, coaches and fans were less than pleased with the way PSAL officials handled the entire situation, after the Class B championship game , which played right before their Class A game, started 15 minutes later than scheduled. The delay forced Tottenville and Wagner to start more than 30 minutes after its schedule 6:30 p.m. first pitch. And less than a hour after both teams took the field, the game was suspended because the field had no lights.
"Should the game have started (that late)?" Tottenville athletic director Jim Munson told the New York Daily News. "You were pushing it. It was close."
As the paper also noted, the game was scheduled later in the day to make sure student-athletes had the opportunity to make it to the field on time. With weather issues altering the playoff schedule, the championship tilt, which was supposed to be played on Saturday, was pushed back to Wednesday to accommodate both teams.
The game, which was played at St. John's University on Wednesday, was scheduled to resume on Thursday at 3 p.m., but coaches and fans were so frustrated the entire situation that they were pressing the PSAL to move the game to Friday to an alternate location that would be beneficial for both teams.
Honestly, there really isn't much the PSAL could have done about the situation. The fact that it was the championship game certainly magnifies the situation, but if you don't have lights on the field, you have to call the game. It's as simple as that. Maybe next time city officials can find an alternate location that's in closer proximity to both schools.
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