Inclement weather has forced the postponement of Thursday’s schedule at the Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Baseball State Tournament at McMurry Park in Sulphur.
In a statement released Thursday evening, the LHSAA said the tournament will resume Sunday.
“Games that were started Thursday will be resumed from the point of suspension of the game.”
Benton had completed three innings of its Class 4A semifinal game against Tioga when lightning caused play to be suspended. It was the second delay of the game. The first occurred just after it began at 11 a.m. The No. 4 seed Tigers trailed the No. 1 Indians 1-0.
The Benton-Tioga game will resume Sunday at 11 a.m.
Parkway, the No. 3 seed, was scheduled to play No. 2 Sam Houston in a Class 5A semifinal at 8 p.m. The game is now scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday.
The Class 4A state championship game is now scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30. The Class 5A title game is scheduled for 6.
Here is a statement released by the LHSAA early this afternoon before the new schedule was announced.
“The LHSAA Baseball Tournament has been postponed until further notice, this includes all games that were scheduled today. The National Weather Service has stated that there is a high probability of more severe weather tonight with an 80% chance of heavy rain and lightning. They have also stated that the forecast for tomorrow is a 90 percent chance of heavy rain (up to four inches) with lightning, which has prompted sandbag stations around the city. The LHSAA will release a statement on the future of the Baseball Tournament before 7pm tonight.”
Tioga scored its run against Benton in the bottom of the first. The Indians led off with back-to-back singles and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Benton left-hander Landon Joyner limited the damage, getting a groundout to third and a strikeout.
The Tigers turned a double play in the second after Joyner hit the leadoff batter. The Indians got a single and walk but a groundout ended the threat.
Sam Simmons had Benton’s lone hit, a leadoff single in the top of the second. JT Brice drew a two-out walk in the third.
Joyner set the Indians down in order in the bottom of the third.
