On Thursday, March 25, the Lawrence High softball team took to its brand new field to play its  first home doubleheader against SM North.

After dropping the first game 4-2, the girls were playing SM North in the nightcap and were tied at two after four innings.  However, before the start of the fifth inning coaches from both teams and umpires met at home plate and decided that they would play one more inning before calling the game. The Indians quickly scored in the top of the fifth and despite allowing two base runners in the bottom of the inning kept LHS from scoring.

The reasoning behind shortening the game; LHS wasn’t allowed to turn the brand new lights on. The lights on the field have yet to pass the “Performance Grid Test” to meet the specifications agreed on by the Centenial Neighborhood Association and the school district. 

Lawrence High athletic director Ron Commons said the problem stems from all the bad weather the city has experienced over the winter.

“With all the snow and rain we have had we haven’t been able to get equipment in there to get the lights positioned and rotated,” Commons said. “There are some performance things that need to be met and we have not met them yet.”

Commons also said that cordinating diffrent contractors to come out and do the work hasn’t been easy.

While the players and coaches knew there was a possibility for the game to be called early when they started the second game, the loss is still a hard one to swallow.

“It’s ridiculous that you can’t finish a varsity competition because you have perfectly good lights and you can’t turn them on,” assistant varsity Coach Charlie Lauts said.

However, last Thursday’s game should be the last time the girls should have to worry about the lights. On Monday bulbs were adjusted so they would meet the requirements set by the district. All that’s left now is for the lights to pass another test before the girls next home game on April 13.

The baseball team is in a worse state than the softball team. In addition to the lights issue, the team is without dugouts, bleachers and a water line that has to be ran by the field before the team plays its first game. For the first home game against Blue Springs South the team had to play at Free State.  Commons said the team is running into the same problems as softball field had regarding weather and equipment. 

“We are disappointed it hasn’t been done yet,” head baseball Coach Brad Stoll said. “It better be done a week from today.”

That timeline Stoll has set is for the Lions next scheduled home game on April 5, against SM North. The team was forced to play its last home game at Free State; however, Free State has a home game the same day so the Lions would likely have to take advantage of their former stomping grounds, Ice Field, which according to multiple sources within the Lawrence Parks and Rec department would be available for the Lions to use.

Only time will tell if the fields will be ready by next week. Stay in touch with the situation through The Budget online for updated information on the fields and lights for the softball and baseball teams.

Also let us know what you think of the situation in the comments below.

*Update: Tonight’s varsity baseball game will be played at home at 6 p.m. A test will be done on the lights after school and nessasary adjustments will be made accordingly. The field has some temporary bleachers set up, but is still without dugouts and some electrical and water lines that need to be ran.