New LED fixtures flooded Lotz Park with light as residents came out to watch Little League

Team Aubree will be having its first annual Softball tournament at Lotz Park this upcoming weekend from Au – gust 13 through the 15th, but for those who came out last week for the slightly more established (as of the present) Boyd Little League tournament there was plenty to watch. First up, the lights!

Making their debut in time for Junior League on Wednesday night, the new LED fixtures put in by the vil – lage to replace 1300-watt halogens shone down from above with 80,000 lumens and 800-watts for each two-piece fix – ture. Do the math (lumens times fixtures) and that's a lot of candlelight to keep the ballpark lit up. Next, the field!

Coming up at recent Village Board meetings and seem –

ingly in evidence last Saturday was the addition of dia –

mond dirt (i.e. more dirt for the ball diamond) to smooth out the high-traffic lanes between bases.

But whereas a break for observed lightning (not rain) on Saturday allowed two hand rakes and an ATV with pulled extension to smooth out the field somewhat, the tourna –

ment wasn't without ball play.

Action began Thursday with a faceoff between the Packers and the Bucks. Following a coin toss the Packers were declared the "home" team for scoreboard purposes, the game closing in the Packers favor despite a fifth inning challenge in which the Bucks tried to even the score, mak – ing a series of runs to bring the score 7 – 4, before a late game resurgence saw the Packers clinch the victory 10 – 4.

Starting out Friday it was the Pirates and the Cubs, with the score 1 – 2 in the third inning, closing out 15 – 1 after a couple of deep field hits by Bailey Sikora resulted in two home runs in back-to-back innings, while other players also contributed to the Pirate's win.

Come Saturday it was rain–and that was ok–if not for the lightning that caused a brief delay in game play at Lotz Park. Coming out of the downpour, meanwhile, the Sun came out for the last game taking place Sunday after – noon. With the Team Aubree tournament taking the field this week, the fun isn't over yet. Once again, Lotz Park is where the First Annual Team Aubree Softball tournament will be at August 13th through the 15th.

Junior League was the first to get to try out the new LED lights Wednes –

day, followed with Little League on Thursday. The new lights pack 80,000 lumen in each two piece set, with the 800-watt fixtures replacing 1300-watt halogens before them. Saturday, meanwhile, lightning caused pause in the game play, before the Sun came out in the final game to shine down for a happy end to the weekend. Photo by Joseph Back.