Wash High softball shuts down for season
The COVID-19 pandemic claimed another victim this week.
The Washington High School softball program.
The Prexies played just one game, a 24-0 loss to Charleroi in Section 3-AA, March 30 and then things turned sour.
The virus forced the shut down of the school four times and that led to nine postponements.
“We were nine games in the hole and there wasn’t time to finish the schedule,” said Washington athletic director Mike Bosnic. “We were hit hard. So we sent an official to the WPIAL. They aren’t going to take any action against us, thankfully, because this was all due to the virus.”
Washington will forfeit the nine games that were postponed and the remaining five games still to be played.
Bosnic said the program will return next spring and should be able to avoid this year’s problems. A feeder system was created to help boost the numbers for the varsity program. The softball program was shut down after the 2016 season because of lack of numbers.
When the program came back this year, it was placed in Section 3 of Class 2A with Frazier, Carmichaels, Charleroi, California, Bentworth and Beth-Center.
“One of the good things that happened to us was the Tri-CADA moved from spring to fall girls middle school softball.” said Bosnic. “We knew coming into the season our numbers were going to be down. Missing all last spring really hurt us. Plus, we had some injuries from the winter to the spring sports that hurt us.
“Every time we started, we’d get shut down. It’s been really tough.”
Bosnic said a high number of athletes were quarantined because of the virus.
He also said other sports have been affected, including track, which had to pull out of the Washington-Greene County Coaches Track Meet at Canon-McMillan High School.
“We were uncertain as to the future,” said Bosnic. “But now the future is bright.”