Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
PROVO — As the sun went down on the shores of Utah Lake, the temperature in the air dropped, while the temperature on the field rose considerably. And then it suddenly stopped because the sun went down, and darkness blanketed the field at Provo High.
But the relief that the day was over was definitely palpable, with the second game of a doubleheader between Provo and Payson suspended and tied 3-3 heading into extra innings.
The game — part of nine weather-related makeup doubleheaders across the state Wednesday — is expected to resume Friday afternoon, which is scheduled to be followed by the rubber match between the Bulldogs and Lions.
"The weather's a joke," Provo head coach Lance Moore said. "I've never worked harder to get games in, and I've never been in a situation where we don't finish the game because of the weather."
These situations are just the reality for a lot of teams during high school baseball season in Utah, especially when the weather is as inconsistent as a coin flip. Unfortunately, the forecast on Friday is calling for intermittent showers, according to the National Weather Service, and with how the rain and snow have already wreaked havoc this week on the Utah high school baseball schedule, it doesn't appear to be getting any better.
Now, the Lions and Bulldogs — and many other teams who didn't finish their doubleheaders Wednesday — will not only have to wait for Friday, but they also will have to wait for what kind of weather they wake up to that day. Only three of Wednesday's twinbills in the state were completed by sundown.
"It's tough when you've had good weather all week, then you're suddenly battling it," Payson head coach Riley Daniels said. "That's when we have to settle down and go to work that day."
Going to work is exactly what Payson starter Kade Edwards had done; the senior was pulled with the Lions leading 3-1 after a stellar performance with seven strikeouts on 102 pitches. The Bulldogs then rallied with two runs after being down to their final strike twice to tie it and force extra innings.
"It's really hard to play a doubleheader, especially after Game 1 didn't go our way," Daniels said. "It's hard to flip the page and move on."
But for Payson and Provo, they made the transition from Game 1 to Game 2 look relatively easy.
"The way we look at it, we just love being out here," Moore said. "These guys are a tight-knit bunch; they push for each other and they pull for each other."
One of the players that clearly loved being out on the diamond Wednesday was Game 1 Provo starter Jared Monn. The senior tossed 6.1 strong innings, striking out six Payson batters in the Bulldogs' 8-5 win.
"A lot of (playing in a doubleheader) is giving it your all every time," Monn said. "It's pretty hard, but when your teammates are standing behind you and cheering you on, you find a way to keep going."
Both dugouts certainly answered that bell Wednesday, with the second game of the twinbill creating a state tournament-like environment, which was especially apparent in the seventh inning.
After giving up the tying run, Edwards came home to score on a passed ball after telling his teammates to "get the run back." Provo's answer in the bottom of the inning generated a roar from Lance Moore and an eruption from the Bulldog bench.
"There's a lot of guys on our squad that know what they're doing," Monn said. "They just know how to play and hit the ball hard."
It's only fitting, then, the Region 8 rivals, like many other teams, will settle their scores Friday with yet another doubleheader — that is, if the weather holds up.
"We get to start again when it matters most," Moore said. "Hopefully we just get good weather."
Daniels said he's just focused on the Lions getting a run and getting out of the second game with a chance to steal the series in the rubber match — not if Monn, who will be batting third in the bottom of the eighth, and the Bulldogs have anything to say about it.
"I'm not really a home run hitter, but I'll see what I can do to try and end it quickly," Monn said, laughing. "It's at Payson; I might be able to poke one out."
