A game in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League was canceled this week after a fire truck flooded the field.
The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts were due to play a home game at Montgomery Blair Baseball Stadium versus the Metro SoCo Braves on Thursday. The stadium is next door to Maryland’s Silver Spring Fire Station 16.
The Thunderbolts said on social media that a ball that was hit out of the park struck a pickup truck parked by the fire station, and that in response, someone in a fire truck sprayed gallons of water over the fence between the two properties.
“It was just pouring water straight onto the grass and there wasn’t any room for the water to sit, so it just basically flooded our field, and we weren’t able to play anymore,” Thunderbolts pitcher Jay Wandell told Hagerstown’s WDVM-TV.
The station is operated by the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department in coordination with the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service.
“There are nine other leagues who play here, and we’re not the only ones that hit home runs. Personnel from the fire department have been told consistently by park staff that that is a dangerous area to park and leave your vehicle,” Thunderbolts founder Dick O’Connor told Washington’s WJLA-TV.
Thunderbolts officials claimed the SSFD captain fessed up to the act.
“I went [to the fire station] and talked to the captain, and he admitted that he did it. And he said he wanted to get our attention,” Mr. O’Connor said.
The SSFD said on its website, “We want to express our sincere apologies to the players, teams, Cal Ripken League, and all fans and families impacted by this disruption. We understand how important this venue is to the community and especially to the young athletes who look forward to these events.”
In a release, MCFRS also apologized and said that “we are actively gathering all relevant information and coordinating with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police to understand exactly what occurred. While the fire station and ballfield have long shared this space as neighbors, we recognize that incidents like this can have a real impact.”
MCFRS spokesman Pete Piringer said on X Friday that the field had reopened.
