The Front Row with MARK NELKE May 22, 2011

Editor's note: This column was written early on Saturday, with every intention of posting it online as soon as possible, just in case - well, you know ...

Having teams from Coeur d'Alene and Lake City both playing in a state tournament held locally never hurts the gate - as witness by all the spectators surrounding the two fields at Post Falls High for the state 5A softball tournament Friday and Saturday - at least until the rains chased them over to Lake City.

Trying to find a place to park on Friday was an adventure - with school still in session at Post Falls High, cars spilled over onto nearby streets, and into fields where developers had hoped to build houses by now. That was the only advantage to the economic downturn and the slowdown in home constuction - more parking.

It helps even more when both teams are playing for trophies on Saturday, and one (Lake City) is playing for a perfect season.

The state 5A tournament moves to Idaho Falls next year, but returns to this area in 2013 - in Coeur d'Alene.

With the current Lake City squad a young one - its star pitcher, Casey Stangel, is a sophomore - one can only imagine what the stakes will be two years from now.

So get your parking spots early.

Missy Morris of Lake City picked a great time for her best performance of her high school career, when the Timberwolves senior won the 5A girls discus Thursday at the state track meet in Boise.

"She didn't win a meet all year in the shot and the disc, and she stepped up huge on the biggest stage," Lake City coach Kelly Reed.

Morris threw 122 feet, 8 inches on her fifth throw - a personal record by 3 feet.

"She picked a pretty good meet to win," Reed said of Morris, who competed at 2A Kamiah High for two years before transferring to Lake City as a junior. "It was an awesome performance."

Morris, who has been battling with Madison Seaman and Justine Zap of Coeur d’Alene in the throws all season, also took third in the shot put with a throw of 36-10 1/2 — a PR by two feet.

Reed has gone to state as an athlete (Coeur d’Alene High) and coach for a good two decades.

“In all the years I’ve been coming down here, I’ve never seen it this windy,” he said. “The runners would hit the backstretch and it looked like they were running in quick sand.”

Reed was also beaming on Friday night, after a pair of his boys relay teams broke school records.

The Timberwolf 4x200- and 4x400-meter relay teams of Jordan Porto, Josh Peters, Nick Gosselin and Loren Oden set school records with second-place times of 1:29.09 and 3:22.76, respectively.

“Our boys relay teams had an outstanding meet,” Reed said. “To have two of the four be seniors to go out with that kind of effort is a great way to cap a career.”

“This was probably the best state meet I’ve seen with the overall competition,” Reed added. “Times were insanely fast by everyone.”

Jason Bradbury’s tip for Eric Cooper just prior to Cooper’s game-winning two-run homer — look for a pitch to turn on — was one thing.

But the Lakeland High baseball coach had another intuitive moment earlier in Thursday’s 13-11 victory over Skyview in the first round of the state 4A baseball tournament at Bishop Kelly High in Boise.

With a runner at first base, Bradbury walked out to the mound to remove left-handed reliever Joe Schwalbach in the sixth inning, but was talked out of it.

“He said, ‘C’mon, coach, let me at least try to pick him off,’” Bradbury said.

Bradbury left him in, and as he walked back to the dugout, the umpire reminded him that was his first visit to the mound — the next visit, and he’s going to have to remove the pitcher.

“That’s OK,” Bradbury told the ump. “He’s going to pick this guy off, and then we’re going to pull him.”

Sure enough, moments later, before even throwing another pitch, Schwalbach threw to first and picked off the runner.

“I’ve got to give all the credit to Joe,” Bradbury said. “He’s got a fabulous pickoff move.”

The first two games Friday at the state 3A softball tournament at OK Ward Park in Pocatello — one on each of the two fields being used — were pitchers duels.

In Timberlake’s 2-1 loss to Sugar-Salem, for example, the two pitchers combined for 25 strikeouts.

Then somebody noticed the pitching rubbers were only 40 feet from home plate, rather than 43. Up until a few years ago, high school pitchers threw from 40 feet, then the rubber was moved back three feet.

“We didn’t know it (at the time), but it was one of those things where it seemed odd; it didn’t seem right,” Timberlake coach Mike Menti said. “The pitcher from Sugar (Kimber Choffin), she throws hard. She doesn’t need any help.”

Before the second game, St. Maries coach Todd Bitterman and Fruitland coach Joe Gastanega were asked if they wanted to pitch from the shorter distance.

After the coaches exchanged some “I don’t know, what do you want to dos?” Bitterman suggested they move the rubbers back.

So the second games on each field were delayed some 15 minutes while the rubbers were dug up and repositioned.

“All of a sudden I’m looking out there and there’s guys with shovels and rakes, digging the darn thing up,” Menti said. “It was a little irritating — that’s Pocatello High’s varsity and JV fields, so they’ve been playing for two years at 40 feet.”

Pocatello qualified for the state 4A tourney at Ramsey Park, but went two and out.

Menti said he walked over to the St. Maries dugout while the rubbers were being moved when Lumberjacks pitcher Tia Asbury kidded him.

“Coach, you’re going to have to play this one again,” she said.

“No, I’m not,” Menti said with a laugh.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected].