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Rainy, cold weather postpones McLouth-Silver Lake showdown

By Shawn Linenberger - | Apr 11, 2007

The showdown will have to wait.

McLouth and Silver Lake were supposed to battle in a softball doubleheader Tuesday at Silver Lake, but inclement weather forced postponement.

The games will be played at 4 p.m. Friday at SLHS.

Last year, the two teams played three times, with Silver Lake winning in the regular season in two marathon games, 1-0 in 10 innings and 2-1 in 11 innings.

McLouth, however, won, 1-0, in the regional finals, sending the Bulldogs to their first state tournament and the Eagles, who are regulars at state softball tourneys, home for the spring.

“They’re one of the top programs in the state and they have been for years,” MHS coach Ballard Patterson said. “Their state championship record … they’ve got tons of banners to hang.

“If we want to call ourselves one of the elite teams in this division, we have to beat them at least half the time.”

The Bulldogs, who have outscored opponents 57-1 in six games this season, should be in for a test against a Silver Lake team that scored 10 runs against Blue Valley Northwest in a one-run loss earlier this season.

“The defense as a whole may be tested more going to Silver Lake,” Patterson said. “I certainly think we can score runs as much as any team in the state.”

McLouth enters Friday’s doubleheader with a 6-0 record.

The Bulldogs gave up their first run of the season in an 11-1 victory Thursday against Pleasant Ridge. MHS also won the second game, 3-0, on a frigid day in McLouth.

Patterson said Tuesday his team has yet to practice inside because of cold weather. He said he wanted his players to adapt to all conditions.

“We play in Kansas in the end of winter,” Patterson explained. “We have to be prepared to play when it’s 32 degrees out. We were prepared because we practice in it.”

Of course, the players initially didn’t warm up to the idea of practicing on chilly days.

“At first they looked at me like “oh, coach, you’re crazy,” Patterson said. “It definitely paid off the other night. We had a big edge in just being tough as it pertained to the weather.”

McLouth will be on the road again Monday when the Bulldogs face Jeff West on the road. The doubleheader will start at 4:30 p.m.