With a share of their first SWCL title already locked up Galena’s eight seniors wanted just one more game on their home field. It appeared Mother Nature would not allow it as she dumped over eight inches of rain in Stone County Friday and Saturday.
“The rain just never stopped, we never got a break,” said senior Logan Sorrell.
The Pine Run, just thirty feet from the outfield fence, ran its banks flooding the nearby baseball and softball fields with over three feet of water.
“It was almost to the top of our left field fence and half way up in right field, so we had a good 3, 4, 5 feet of water,” said Galena head coach Byron Richardson.
With just over two days until the Bears’ Senior Night, it appeared the festivities would need to be moved to another town.
“I was pretty devastated I wasn’t going to get to play on my home field one last game,” said senior Caleb Hall.
Sorrell’s mother Jeannie Tweeted, “Sad that the seniors will never play again on their home field.”
Sad that the seniors will never play again on their home field @OzarksOzone @GalenaBears pic.twitter.com/FUh5JJ4m2X
— Jeanie Sorrell (@sorrellmom) April 30, 2017
Richardson said it would take a miracle to get that field ready and that’s exactly what they got.
“We walked out here Monday and we were shocked,” said Richardson. “We had three little puddles on our infield. It was solid. Somehow the water almost compressed our dirt down instead of sinking in.”
The opening of the Table Rock Dam sucked the water back into the Pine Run and a windy Monday helped to dry up the field.
Richardson texted his players and despite school being out several of them and other members of the community showed up to work the field into shape. They turned up the dirt, applied some diamond dry and drug the field and by Tuesday afternoon the field was ready to go for Senior Night.
“I was dumbfounded,” said Hall. “It was a miracle. That much water shouldn’t have gone away that fast.”
The Bears, and their eight seniors took the field one last time. The group that brought Galena its first district title in 28 years last season playing out a story they won’t soon forget, and one they hope is only the beginning.
“I know they don’t want it to be over, so they’re going fight like they don’t want it to be over, so it should be a fun ride,” said Richardson.
Groves’ shutout propels Forsyth into first place tie
The Bears fell 3-0 to Forsyth, likely sharing the SWCL title with the Panthers, but the night was ultimately a success, and the real goal begins next week in districts.
“State title, that’s it, that’s what we want,” said Sorrell.
