Rainout Might Be Plus for Valley Chatsworth

A trip to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., and a stop at a shopping mall provided a diversion for Valley Chatsworth players Saturday after their game in the American Legion World Series was postponed because of rain.

All four postponed games in the eight-team tournament have been rescheduled for today. Valley Chatsworth (40-8, 0-1) will play New Brighton, Minn. (61-4, 1-0) in a round-robin game in the four-team National Division.

The tournament still is scheduled to end on Tuesday. To finish on time, organizers have moved the semifinals from Monday to Tuesday, the same day as the final, making for a triple-header.

The extra day off could be helpful for Valley Chatsworth, which plans to use No. 1 pitcher Mike Kunes today. Kunes pitched in 19 innings during the Region 8 playoffs and should appreciate another day of rest.

Kunes entertained his Chatsworth teammates by playing the piano in the hotel lobby before the team left on its visit to Springfield.

The rain is expected to end today, with dry weather forecast for the rest of the series.

The final will be taped Tuesday by ESPN for telecast on Aug. 30.