Right-center fielder Jamie Bailey of the Kadena Falcons begins her run to first base after singling against the Kadena Outkast during Monday's women's championship game of the 9th Firecracker Shootout Open Softball Tournament at Field 2, Foster Field Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Bailey, an All-Marine, went 4-for-5 with four RBIs as the Falcons routed the Outkast 20-2 in the all-Okinawa final. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Right-center fielder Jamie Bailey of the Kadena Falcons begins her run to first base after singling against the Kadena Outkast during Monday's women's championship game of the 9th Firecracker Shootout Open Softball Tournament at Field 2, Foster Field Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Bailey, an All-Marine, went 4-for-5 with four RBIs as the Falcons routed the Outkast 20-2 in the all-Okinawa final. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Jeffrey Cross of Okinawa's Yellow Box belts a fly ball to left field against Pacific Force in the first inning of Monday's men's championship game of the 9th Firecracker Shootout Open Softball Tournament at Field 1, Foster Field Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Cross was safe on an error and scored the first of four first-inning runs as Yellow Box downed Pacific Force 7-5. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Right-center fielder Jamie Bailey of the Kadena Falcons watches her single sail to the outfield against the Kadena Outkast during Monday's women's championship game of the 9th Firecracker Shootout Open Softball Tournament at Field 2, Foster Field Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Bailey, an All-Marine, went 4-for-5 with four RBIs as the Falcons routed the Outkast 20-2 in the all-Okinawa final. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Left fielder Amanda Snyder of the Kadena Falcons belts one of her five singles in five at-bats in the first inning against the Kadena Outkast during Monday's women's championship game of the 9th Firecracker Shootout Open Softball Tournament at Field 2, Foster Field Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. The Falcons routed the Outkast 20-2 in the all-Okinawa final. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Bad weather Sunday night forced play to be suspended until Monday morning in the double-elimination playoff round of the 9th Firecracker Shootout Open Softball Tournament.
“We had no choice” but to suspend play because of lightning in the area, Foster Athletics director Curtis Brown said. “The most important thing is that the players are safe.”
All but a handful of games remained to be played Monday, with women’s playoffs resuming at 9 a.m. and men’s at 11:30 a.m. The women’s championship tentatively was set for 11:30 a.m. and the men’s at 7 p.m.
“Hopefully, the weather will be kind to us and we can get the games in,” Brown said.
The weather outlook was not as optimistic. Forecasters at Kadena Air Base’s weather flight called for isolated showers and thunderstorms all day Monday, with the low front expected to move out on Tuesday.
Before play was halted, Yellow Box of Okinawa had reached its ninth consecutive final in the Pacific interservice Grand Slam circuit dating back to the 2002 season. Yellow Box beat its perennial foil, Pacific Force, 6-4 in the men’s winner’s bracket final.
