UPPER LAKE — Spring is also a time when a young man”s fancy includes leaving his teammates in the lurch.
Already hurting for numbers to keep a team on the field, the Upper Lake High School varsity baseball squad will forfeit its final game of the season after three of the team”s seniors and one junior skipped the Cougars” final practice Wednesday.
Upper Lake, last in the North Central League I South standings at 0-7, was scheduled to host NCL I South champion Cloverdale (7-0) today at 4 p.m. Instead, Upper Lake head coach Don Meri has conceded the game.
“I feel like I was kicked in the teeth by my seniors,” Meri said. “This is the worst way to end the season.”
The only senior to attend the final practice was Meri”s son, Jayce.
“Thank goodness he showed up,” Meri said.
Since Upper Lake does not field a junior varsity team, Meri said his options were limited because he has only eight players remaining.
“I asked (an umpire) and he said you need to start a game with nine but you can play with only eight (after that),” Meri said. “So that means I could have started one of the guys who skipped practice and sat him down after the game started and played with only eight.”
Meri said he didn”t want to do that because the four players who skipped practice betrayed his trust.
“Besides, we had trouble getting three outs this season with nine guys. We don”t want to end our season losing 35-1 to the best team in our league because we played only eight. The players who didn”t miss practice deserve the chance to play, but they don”t deserve to be embarrassed.
Upper Lake”s final practice traditionally involves a scrimmage with the softball team, according to Meri.
“I make them bat left-handed and only the catcher gets to wear a glove,” Meri said of the baseball players. “It”s a fun way to end the season.”
Meri said he has a good idea of where the four missing players were on Wednesday. One even approached him in the school”s parking lot later in the day, but Meri said he waved him off.
“I told him, ?I don”t want to talk to you right now,”” Meri said.
Upper Lake”s final record will be 0-8 in the South and 5-18 overall. Cloverdale”s next stop is the North Coast Section Class A playoffs.
