The average seven-inning high school baseball game takes about 2-and-a-half hours to complete.
The Tyrone Golden Eagles have already spent more time than that just traveling to Richland to play one inning of their District 6-AA second-round playoff game against the Rams.
The Eagles loaded up and headed to Cambria County yesterday for the second-straight day only to have their game halted by rain showers after the first inning. On Monday, the team made it all the way to Highland Park Field in Richland before they found that the game had been postponed due to rain.
The two teams will try it once more today at 4 p.m., and when they do so they’ll pick it up with the score tied 1-1 in the top of the second inning.
Tyrone scored one run in its first at-bat yesterday, but missed an opportunity for a big inning by leaving the bases loaded. Brice Mertiff drew a walk to lead the game off, Brit Mingle followed with a single to left, and one out later pitcher Clint Wilson drew a walk to pack the bags.
After Tyler Gillmen struck out, Ben Gummo sent a grounder to second baseman Josh Szelong, who had the ball go underneath his glove allowing Mertiff to score.
Richland tied the game in their half of the inning by capitalizing on a two-out walk to Evan Petro. Petro stole second and made it to third after Andy Rubal beat out an infield single to Gilmen at third. Petro rounded the bag wide and nearly slipped in the soggy dirt, prompting a throw by first baseman Tyler Golden, but on the toss Petro broke for home instead of back to the bag and made it in ahead of Gillmen’s throw.
Up to that point, the game had been played in a steady, cold rain, and although the showers began to slow, the umpires chose to halt the game, in part because of poor conditions on the pitcher’s mound.
