Kennewick Youth Baseball Buildings Flooded by Frozen Pipes That Ruptured

Kennewick American is one of two large youth baseball leagues in town, along with Kennewick National.  Over the cold spell, frozen pipes created a massive mess for the league this month.

League President Tyler Tompkins told KEPR-TV this last week they discovered a frozen pipe had ruptured, spreading at least 2-3 inches of water in their concession building, which also contains the main men's and women's bathrooms. The facility, located next to Canyon View Elementary school near Olympia and 27th Street, still has to be evaluated to find out total damage.

Officials say the leak was discovered a while ago, and water supplies turned off, but apparently the wrong water valve was shut.  When a routine check was done this last week, it was evident water had been leaking. Inside, the concession stand and bathrooms were not only full of frozen water, but due to condensation, the walls, equipment and other materials also covered in ice or frost. They also found a cracked leaking faucet.

League officials will continue to assess the damage as the weather thaws, it's likely there will be a number of fund raising activities to help the insurance replace any damaged equipment.

The building in question is in the center of this picture. KA, as it's known, is part of the Cal Ripken Nationwide League like it's counterpart Kennewick National. Both teams have sent a number of teams to the Cal Ripken World series over the years, and offer baseball for boys and girls ages 5-6 through 12.