The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT April 21, 2012

After watching Tuesday’s 5A Inland Empire League baseball game between Coeur d’Alene and Lake City — I don’t think anyone in attendance was expecting what happened on the field that day.

GRANTED THE Vikings had beaten the Timberwolves in both previous matchups, but both teams were coming off wins at Lewiston.

Coeur d’Alene jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Timberwolves scored in the bottom of the inning. Then a double play took their momentum away just as quickly as they’d gotten it.

By the end of the third inning, Coeur d’Alene had scored 27 runs with only 12 hits.

Lake City allowed 15 walks and hit two batters and didn’t score again until the bottom of the fifth inning.

At the end of the day, it was like something I’d never seen before — and likely won’t ever again.

It’s one thing to win a game by 10 runs. That seem to happen a lot more than it should in some cases, but 25 runs is something like I’ve never seen before.

A few years ago, I saw something similar during an American Legion baseball game in which a team gave up a bunch of runs, but nothing like that in a high school game.

I’ve seen a few football games get a little out of hand, but thankfully in most, a 45-point mercy rule ended those games at halftime.

The teams meet again on May 3 at Coeur d’Alene High.

WHILE IN the Seattle area last weekend, the amount of Sonics gear available in stores almost shocked me. Due to the Seahawks revising their logos and uniforms, there was almost as many jerseys for the Sonics than those teams still in the area.

This coming from a team that left over four years ago and left the city without an NBA franchise.

Even the Seattle Thunderbirds, a Western Hockey League team had some gear out — and they play their home games in Kent, a 20-mile drive on Interstate 5.

Outside of a couple signs in some windows, the evidence that area might be perfect for a hockey team isn’t there.

Listening to a few talk radio stations, neighboring Vancouver, British Columbia, is also interested in bringing in an NBA team and seems more likely than the Emerald City.

This week, while the Mariners played host to the Cleveland Indians, there has been at least 30,000 empty seats for each of those games.

It might take a little more interest to bring another team to the area.

WEATHER DURING the spring sports season has been the most unpredictable I’ve seen in a long time.

Between rainouts and games being moved to accommodate league games, it makes me wonder just what could happen if they played a few of the spring sports in the fall and moved soccer to the spring.

Those rain issues could affect a few games, but the majority of a schedule could be played without issue.

I’d like to see it sometime — but just like more sports teams moving to the northwest, don’t expect it anytime soon.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].