SLIPPERY ROCK — As members of the Washington Wild Things played hot potato with a baseball down the left field line, the Slippery Rock Sliders' grounds crew was hard at work at Critchfield Park Thursday night.

They tried to mop up water in the infield grass between second base and first base with towels and filled in standing water between home plate and the backstop with dirt.

It was all for not, however, as the scheduled Frontier League baseball doubleheader between Slippery Rock and Washington was finally called due to unplayable field conditions after a 45-minute non-rain delay.

Slippery Rock manager Greg Jelks was eager to see the seven new players on his roster in action.

"I'm very disappointed to not be able to put these guys out there," Jelks said. "I thought we had some momentum with these new guys and had started to build some chemistry."

But Jelks said the field was far too dangerous to play on.

Thirty minutes before the scheduled start time of 6:05 p.m., players from both teams were warming up. At 5:50 p.m., Jelks, Washington manager John Massarelli and the umpires and grounds crew surrounded an area of standing water near the backstop behind home plate.

The decision was made to give the grounds crew 40 minutes to get the field ready.

The grounds crew worked feverously, but 45 minutes later the decision was made to call it a night.

When the doubleheader was postponed, there were fewer than 100 fans in the stands.

"This put a little damper in it," Jelks said. "But at the end of the day, this is professional baseball and there was no way in the world I was going to put these kids' livelihood in jeopardy. This is their livelihood. These kids' dream is to play in the big leagues and there was no way I was going to take that chance."

The first game was to be the continuation of a contest that began June 3 before it was suspended by rain in the top of the third inning.

That game will be completed at 5:05 p.m. Sunday at Critchfield Park.

The second game was rescheduled for Aug. 5 as part of a doubleheader.

The Sliders came into the postponed doubleheader at 9-24 and losers of 12 of their last 13 games.

But over the past four days, Jelks and the Sliders acquired seven new players.

Three of them, outfielder Anthony Albano, designated hitter Jon Dandridge and first baseman Kevin Holley, have Jelks excited.

Albano was acquired from River City for right-handed pitcher Matt Keller. Albano was a .300 hitter for River City.

Dandridge is off to a .318 start and Holley brings the Sliders some legitimate pop in the middle of the order.

"Holley is a guy who, any time he comes to the plate, can hit one out," Jelks said. "I said I was going to bring in some guys, and I did. It's just a matter now of letting them play and see what happens."