A rare occurrence was seen in Cathedral City on Thursday evening, as the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic was forced to prematurely end the opening day of games due to inclement weather.
Several games were in progress, with more to go, when field conditions dictated an across-the-board stoppage at approximately 5:00 pm local time. Games were originally scheduled to go through the evening hours, with two games starting as late as 8:30 local time.
With three full days of games still to go, a revised schedule was issued for Friday’s games at the tournament. All of the previously-scheduled matchups are still set to take place on Friday, with some minor changes. All Friday games are now scheduled to begin an hour later than originally planned, while the biggest change for any particular team involves the Duke Blue Devils’ games against Cal and Northwestern moving from a morning doubleheader on the field known as “Des Moines” to a late afternoon doubleheader on “Pawtucket.”
Games hanging in the balance – with the possibility of cancellation, rescheduling, or some other outcome – include Arizona vs. Missouri, a game that was called due to weather while in progress. UCLA/Texas A&M and Long Beach State/Texas Tech were among the games that did not take place due to the rain. The status of the incomplete and unstarted games from Thursday’s schedule was not immediately known.
Numerous individuals noted the lack of rain delays across the Mary Nutter tournament’s history, one that spans multiple decades. Twenty-four games are on Friday’s schedule, with another thirty-seven games set for the weekend. The slate includes a handful of exhibition games, including pitting the Japanese national team against some collegiate teams, and a pair of appearances by the independent Scrap Yard Fastpitch team.
