As soon as the third out was called on Europe, gray clouds covered Lamade Stadium like a dark outdoor roof.
"It's raining!" Julie Pavlich, of Youngstown, Ohio, said.
While many people may have uttered those same words with disdain as the rain began to douse fans who wanted to watch the game, Pavlich said them with delight.
Article Photos
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette
Julie Palich, 15, daughter of Matt Palich, of Youngstown, Ohio, top, does a head-first slide down the muddy hill overlooking Lamade Stadium Monday.
For four years she has come with her family to the Little League Baseball World Series for a few days and for four years she waited for the rain to muddy-up the hill at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. She finally got her chance Monday.
After sliding for hours, she was covered head to toe with mud. She had a four-hour drive home later that night and already had checked out of the hotel, but it was worth it.
With her, also from Youngstown, was Jenna Fonner. Because there were so few people sliding down the hill, Fonner said the wait went quickly as people went one after the other.
Fonner's tip for going fastest was sliding down on her lower back with legs straight up.
Others went on their stomachs, sliding down the hill like a Little Leaguer sliding into home.
For Trenton Wahl, of Leesport, it was all about the running start.
Whenever he went down the hill, which happened quite frequently, the group would part as he climbed steadily higher.
He would run down to meet the group, jump at the last second and use the momentum to slide, sitting down on the muddy trail.
On sunnier days while sitting or laying on cardboard, it takes about 10 seconds to slide down the hill.
Mud cuts that time in half, with some of the children reaching the bottom in as little as five "Mississippi" counts.
Even though Pavlich and Fonner were exceptionally muddy after a few hours of sliding, some got that way much quicker.
Christian Buckley, of Scranton, who made it down the hill in 7 seconds, had only been doing it for a few minutes and the mud completely covered him from the top of his shirt to his sneakers.
"Mom said, 'Don't do it,' " Buckley said.
Yet the temptation was too strong as he saw how much fun his friends were having.
Donovan Yenser, of Exeter, might not have gone the fastest, but he easily became one of the most requested sliders because he propelled himself to go further, going past the sidewalk.
Josh Goldman and Nicholas Lawler, of Scranton, were the fastest sliders of the group, both making it down in 5 seconds.
Times were close, ranging from 5 to 8 seconds, with five of the 10 sliders in the group making it down in 6 seconds.
Monday's storm may have stalled the Europe vs. Midwest game and chased most of the fans to sections covered by roofs, but it certainly gave some of the younger fans something to do.
