LAKE COUNTY >> El Niño’s March resurgence in Northern California is putting a giant dent in the drought of the last four years but is also playing havoc with high school sports teams and their schedules.
Rain that has battered Lake County most of this week wiped out a third straight day of spring sports action on Friday, forcing coaches to retreat indoors in order to practice and athletic directors to cancel or postpone scrimmages and games. While most of them will be made up later this month or next, that assumes El Niño relents in the coming weeks. Forecasters have predicted that the weather phenomenon could cause some very wet spells well into May.
Among Friday’s varsity casualties were Upper Lake (1-1) at Lower Lake (1-2) softball, Upper Lake (0-2) at Middletown (1-3) baseball and Healdsburg at Kelseyville (0-0) softball. Three more games scheduled for today, including a varsity baseball doubleheader between McKinleyville and Clear Lake in Lakeport, the season opener for the Cardinals, and a single game between El Molino and Kelseyville (2-0) varsity baseball at Lloyd Larson Field in Kelseyville, already have been postponed because of a weather forecast that calls for more rain, possibly heavy at times. Clear Lake’s doubleheader with McKinleyville has been rescheduled for Friday beginning at noon in Lakeport.
More than 20 junior varsity and varsity games and scrimmages have been canceled or postponed by wet weather or unplayable fields this week alone.
Middletown softball may be the first team to play again as the Mustangs (2-1) are scheduled to host Healdsburg on Monday at 3:30 p.m.
There is some good news as the rain should be moving out of the area late Sunday. According to the National Weather Service, clear skies and temperatures in the mid-70s should be here by Tuesday or Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a full slate of games are scheduled, including three in the county — Ukiah at Clear Lake softball, Upper Lake at Kelseyville softball, and Willits at Upper Lake baseball.
