Raptors' protest upheld after rainy forfeit

The Raptors proved victorious on and off the field Wednesday.

First, Pioneer League president Jim McCurdy overturned Rookie-level Ogden's forfeit from the team's game at Grand Junction on Tuesday night. When play resumed Wednesday, the Raptors picked up a 4-3 victory.

Tuesday's contest at Suplizio Field was marred by rain and delayed by 47 minutes before the game's first pitch. There were no further delays, despite off-and-on rain throughout the game, until the seventh inning, when Ogden manager Jack McDowell told umpires Andy Stukel and Jordan Johnson that he didn't believe the field was suitable for play.

When the pair disagreed and told McDowell to play on, the Raptors' skipper, whose team was leading 4-2 at the time, told his team to not take the field. Fifteen minutes later with no Ogden players on the diamond, the game was ruled a forfeit.

Ogden officially protested the ruling to the Pioneer League, and it was announced a day later that the protest was upheld. The game picked up where it left off in the bottom of the seventh and was followed by the originally scheduled nine-inning game.

(1/2) Last night's ruling of an Ogden forfeit has been overturned by Minor League Baseball. We'll pick the game up from where it was stopped

- Ogden Raptors (@ogdenraptors) August 27, 2014

The pair of games had potential playoff implications, with the Raptors' sweep boosting them into first place in the South Division second-half race, a half-game ahead of the Rockies. The teams have five meetings remaining before the season ends on Sept. 4.

The Pioneer League's full statement on the protest being upheld:

"PBL President Jim McCurdy reviewed the forfeiture declaration for the game between the Ogden Raptors and Grand Junction Rockies on Aug. 26 to determine that rain intervened to render the field unplayable prior to the completion of the forfeiture declaration process established by the accepted protocols and common practice accompanying the baseball rules. The interrupted process rendered the declaration incomplete and inoperative. McCurdy denied the request of the Raptors to recognize a completed game victory due to the team's involvement in the delay of play during the seventh inning. Utilizing his powers vested by the PBL Constitution & By-Laws to protect the integrity of the game and PBL championship season, McCurdy treated the game as a suspended game and ordered resumed play from the start of the bottom of the seventh inning."