BY KEVIN WOODRUFF

Several ballfields in Susquehanna andWyomingcounties took a beating last week from flood waters caused by the surgingSusquehanna River.

Perhaps the most impacted fields were on opposite sides of the area, with Blue Ridge Little League’s field’s in Hallstead andGreat Bendand Tunkhannock Little League’s Lee Baumgartner Complex along Route 92 inTunkhannockTownshipbeing hit the hardest.

Brenda Pruitt of Blue Ridge Little League noted on Friday that the Legion Ballfield in Hallstead was submerged on Thursday with water reaching the windows on the concession stand.

Also affected were theBlue Ridgefields inGreat BendonOrchard Roadwith water up to the doorknob of the concession stand, and the field near Simmons-Rockwell Ford along Route 11 in Hallstead with around a foot of water blanketing the field.

Pruitt said that equipment-wiseBlue Ridgeis okay, however, there may be field damage and concession stand damage.

“Where we go from here, I don’t know,” Pruitt said. “But we have a good group of volunteers.”

In the flood of June 2006,Blue Ridge’s fields were also hit, and Pruitt said that hopefully the organization has the same amount of support as last time.

“Hopefully it’s just water this time,” Pruitt said. “And we can get things back to normal.”

Bob Barkley of the Tunkhannock Baseball Association said that Strumski Field at the Baumgartner complex looks structurally sound with the exception of countertops and cabinets in the concession stand.

On the other hand, the Schultz Field dugout on the first base side has sustained heavy damage.

As of Saturday, it was inaccessible, but upon looking at it, it was apparent that the roof was gone and the dugout walls are partially collapsed.

“We were fortunate to be able to pull all our equipment and appliances out of both fields at the complex Wednesday evening in advance of major flooding,” Barkley said. “However, certainly the cleanup will be extensive for both the fields and the buildings.”

Barkley noted that water was over the top of the first floor of both concession stands.

He also said that the Tunkhannock Baseball Association was grateful for the help of Triton Hose Company in hosing off all the fields’ structures on Saturday.

Lisa Jayne, secretary for the Roosevelt Trail Little League Association said that the league lost its concession stand and shed that was full of equipment at its Laceyville field.

“Some of the fence is still standing but we lost the majority of the fencing and backstops,” Jayne said. “We lost both of the dugouts and all the bleachers.”