Hawks forfeit game, cite wet field
After the start of the game at Everett Memorial Stadium was delayed by rain for 80 minutes, the AquaSox took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Kevin Rivers hit a two-out RBI single before Boise left fielder Ryan Cuneo slipped while trying to track down Hawkins Gebbers' run-scoring double that made it 2-0.
Davis came out to talk to umpire Matt Mullins for several minutes before instructing his team to leave the field. During the ensuing delay of nearly a half-hour, there were discussions between the umpiring crew and Northwest League president Bob Richmond.
"We had a number of calls," Richmond said. "I understand he took his team off the field and refused to put the team back on the field."
When play resumed, Gebbers returned to his spot on second base and Evan Sharpley moved into the batter's box. The Hawks, however, never left their dugout.
"I've never, ever seen or heard of a forfeit in baseball in my life," Rivers told the The (Everett) Daily Herald. "It was kind of interesting watching Sharpley at the plate and Gebbers at second with no one else (on the field)."
Mullins and fellow umpire Matt Heersema waited five minutes before signaling to the press box that Boise had forfeited.
"I have never heard of it," Richmond said. "I've been in this business a long time and I've never seen a forfeit. It's a new one for me."
"I don't feel that it was injury-related," Mullins told the newspaper. "It was an unfortunate circumstance. Just for his players' safety, (Davis) felt it necessary to remove his team from the field."
AquaSox manager Jose Moreno said he's seen games played in worse conditions that those that existed Saturday.
"The outfield was a little wet, but in real good shape to play the game," he told The Herald.
No rulings have been made beyond the forfeit, but Richmond said, "I'm just getting all the facts at the present time."
Alex Raskin is a contributor to MLB.com.