ST. PETERSBURG — Gibbs just can’t seem to win a baseball game, even when it’s actually winning a baseball game. With darkness approaching and trailing 10-5 to Admiral Farragut on Monday in the top of the seventh, the Gladiators erupted for six runs to take an 11-10 lead with two out.
But umpires determined it was too dark to continue at the light-less Naimoli Complex. After a meeting with both coaches, the decision was the game would revert back to the sixth inning, which gave the Blue Jackets a 10-5 win. Gibbs’ hopes of ending a two-plus year losing streak were smashed.
Gibbs' loss was Admiral Farragut’s gain. It snapped an 18-game losing streak dating to an April 21, 2011, win over Keswick Christian.
“We shouldn’t have started the seventh inning," AFA coach Brian Cooke said. “But the umpires said there was still enough sun over the trees. That’s what happens when you play these 4 o’clock games. You have to know how much time you actually have."
First-year Gibbs coach Kevin Mullins said he offered to continue the game the next time the teams played. They are scheduled to face each other later in the season. But that idea was rejected, so Gibbs is officially 0-1.
The Gladiators will try again today when they play at Canterbury. Gibbs has won one baseball game over the past seven seasons. Its last win was April 1, 2010, a 12-2 win over Pensacola Pine Forest.