Decimated Round Mountain softball team forfeits remainder of season

Round Mountain has forfeited the remainder of its softball season because of injury and academic ineligibility issues, athletic director Jake Topholm said Thursday.

The decision was initially made after Round Mountain forfeited a Class 1A Southern League doubleheader against Lake Mead on Saturday, Topholm said.

It was cemented Thursday during a meeting between Topholm, coach Linda Cable and Nye County School District assistant superintendent Dale Norton.

Round Mountain will close the season with six straight forfeits and an 0-19 record.

“It was a difficult decision to make,” Topholm said. “We talked about it quite a bit. We didn’t have a choice.”

Cable could not be reached for comment.

The Knights have only seven active players on their roster after starting the season with 14, Topholm said. One player broke an ankle while sliding during practice, another was involved in a four-wheeler accident and five others faced academic ineligibility, he said.

Topholm said the school’s softball program will be forced to play an independent schedule in 2010 in hopes of returning to the league in 2011.

“We didn’t fulfill the league schedule,” he said. “By doing that, that makes Round Mountain an independent.”

However, Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association assistant director Jay Beesemyer said while that is “90 percent accurate,” Round Mountain’s removal from the league is “not automatic.”

Athletic administrators from Class 1A Southern League schools will discuss the situation at their next meeting, Beesemyer said.

“They do it on a case-by-case basis, seeing what the situation is,” Beesemyer said. “They have meetings after every season.”