The National Democratic Institute may preach expanding democracy worldwide, but apparently that doesn’t extend to the softball fields of Washington, D.C. Tonight’s game against the Heritage No. 2 squad was cut short after the NDI team called the game because of a rain storm, then falsely claimed it had won.

The drama began to unfold when a slight drizzle started in the top of the fifth inning when we were up to bat. The rain continued into the bottom of the inning, until a downpour drenched the field. The game should have been called by NDI once the heavy rain started to fall, but their manager pressed forward. With two outs, an NDI batter was safe at first on a grounder, leading to a run. The game was tied; only NDI claimed it was the winning run. A heated exchange between managers ensued after NDI’s manager refused to compare his scorebook with ours.

Meanwhile, everyone was drenched and in disbelief over the bizarre ending. I went 2-for-3 today with a double and one run scored.

As for the outcome of the game, I’m not sure what’s next, but it’s my understanding that we could appeal to the Think Tank Softball League. The better solution, or shall I say “democratic,” would be to just resume the game when we play again on August 8.