Jun. 4—DC, Catholic to square off Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Due to heavy rainfall early Thursday, the 9th District Softball Tournament championship game between Daviess County and Owensboro Catholic has been moved to Friday.
The game is set for 5:30 p.m. at Owensboro Catholic’s Parents Park.
“With all the weather, the rain we got this morning was killer to our field,” OCHS coach Jeremy Phelps said. “We didn’t know we were going to get a day full of sunshine, so we might have been able to get the field playable, but I don’t know how safe it would’ve been.
“We’re supposed to have good weather all day Friday, so that made it an easier decision to wait and play then.”
The matchup, which was originally slated for Tuesday, has been moved back multiple times throughout the week, and coaches for both teams are working to keep their players focused in the meantime.
“Our kids were really fired up and ready to play Tuesday night,” said DC coach John Biggs, whose squad enters Friday with a 27-6 record. “When it got canceled, they were disappointed, but we came back yesterday and had a really good practice.
“This group has been around each other for a while, and they’re a pretty tight group. They understand the task at hand and understand the big picture.”
It’s not the first time either team has experienced a rainout situation this year, and Phelps is hoping the Lady Aces’ run to the All ‘A’ Classic championship game in April will help his players stay prepared.
“I think that’s the tough part for everybody — the waiting,” said Phelps, whose squad enters with a 20-12 mark. “We had to go through that with the All ‘A’ so hopefully that experience helps us out. This time of year, in the postseason, they understand what’s on the line.”
Both squads find themselves facing a unique situation, as well, with the 3rd Region Tournament beginning Saturday morning at Butler County. The region draw will still be held Friday morning, but specific matchups for DC and Catholic won’t be known until later in the night.
Neither coach is worried about the region tournament just yet, though.
“We’re not even looking at the region right now,” Biggs said. “Our focus is on the district championship game.”
Phelps noted a similar approach for OCHS.
“This time of year, you play one game at a time,” he said. “The good thing is throughout the season, we play a lot of Friday night games and turn around and play Saturday. That’ll help the mindset of our players.
“You just try to keep them in the right frame of mind. Getting feedback from our players, I feel like their focus is good.”