Rain continues to wreak havoc for Area I East teams

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on July 1, 2013 1:49 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- The madness continues.

And Mother Nature keeps interfering.

Every Area I East Division team has at least two or more games to make up before the season-ending playoffs begin July 7. Ten Division games were rained out and one was suspended after four innings last week.

"No teams across the state have been left alone from the rain this year, which has left us with several games to catch up with as we near the end (of regular-season play)," Area I East commissioner Bob Figulski said in an email to athletic officers.

Any game that isn't official until MLB rules affected by inclement weather will be played from the point of suspension until a winner is determined. Figulski added that "home teams are to make every effort to prepare the field for play prior to the game and after any rain delays.

"Hopefully, this will allow us a good chance to complete most of the season."

With two fields at its disposal, Wayne County Post 11 is in a quandary.

Heavy rains since last Thursday have made Scarborough Field on the Mount Olive College campus unplayable. Post 11 head coach Jason Sherrer said he will make every attempt to get the field ready, along with backup facility Southern Wayne.

"Our field is under water and it's been like that for a week," said Sherrer, whose team has lost 12 playing dates due to rainouts. "(We're) going to try anything and everything to play. We've got to get these games in."

Indeed.

Wayne County is 5-4 in division play and teetering on the playoff bubble. Weather permitting, Post 11 plays host to Pitt County today and takes on Windsor in a pivotal doubleheader Tuesday. Windsor is also battling for one of the league's four postseason berths.

Athletic officer James Cox said in an email this morning that Post 11 will play back-to-back home games against league-leading Rocky Mount and Albemarle-Elizabeth City on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Figulski didn't mention a backup plan if the entire division schedule isn't completed. One athletic officer suggested all eight teams should make the playoffs, while another proposed shortening the first-round series to a best-of-three format.

"It's been a crazy year, unbelievable," said Rocky Mount Post 58 athletic officer Joe Bell. "We have to start the playoffs on July 7 and that's what everybody is shooting for (to complete the season), but I don't think it's going to happen."