Heavy downpours kept local softball teams off the diamonds last night, throwing a wrench into the slo-pitch playoff schedule.

Division 1 and 4 teams in the Whitehorse Co-Ed Slo-Pitch League saw their playoff games postponed after rain left the two Pepsi Softball Centre diamonds under water.

Tonight’s games are expected to go ahead as scheduled.

Last night’s field conditions resulted in a rare decision by Softball Yukon executive director George Arcand to lock the gates on the local complex.

“We’re OK now,” Arcand told the Star this morning. “It was under water last night. Both infields were floating. We just got too much, too fast.

“Barring anymore rain, we should be fine. It’s drying out quite good. They’ll be playable tonight if it doesn’t rain.”

Despite an announcement on the league’s website asking teams to refrain from using the fields, two diamonds were damaged by use.

Robert Service No. 1 and Takhini No. 3 will both require repairs.

“Takhini 3 isn’t too bad, but Robert Service 1 was damaged pretty bad,” Arcand said. “We’ll probably have to do some grading and dragging on that field.”

When puddles form on fields, gameplay becomes “extremely dangerous,” Arcand said, due to wet bases, among other things.

Players are asked to stay tuned to the league’s website (www.whsecoed.ca) for an updated schedule.

“Because we have to have closing tournaments done by a certain date, it looks like Div. 4 may be doing some back-to-back games,” said league president Melanie Brais. “But we’re still in the process of working it out.”

Brais added last night’s game cancellations were not due to rain, but rather field conditions.

The league’s current game cancellation policy sees decisions made by umpires or teams involved. Games are called off if lightning is in the air.

If cancelled, teams are able to make up games, or submit a tie score.

Tonight, Div. 2 and 3 teams are expected to renew their quests for closing tournament titles – a triple-elimination format.