THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: 'OK guys, you have to win by x-amount'

It didn’t work out in the end, but Coeur d’Alene High’s baseball team nearly pulled off something impressive on Tuesday.

In order for the Vikings to snag the No. 1 seed to next week’s 5A Region 1 tournament, not only did they have to sweep visiting Lake City on Tuesday, but they had to beat the Timberwolves by at least nine runs.

Had they swept, the two teams would have ended up tied for first in the Inland Empire League. The tiebreaker was run differential in the four games between the two teams. Earlier in the season, Lake City swept Coeur d’Alene by a total of eight runs.

On Tuesday, Coeur d’Alene trailed 6-3 in the fourth inning of the first game before scoring eight runs in its final three at-bats to down the Timberwolves 11-6.

In the second game, the Vikings led 9-8 after five innings but, needing to win by four runs, could score no more, and Lake City, which would have earned the tiebreaker anyway had that score held, scored three times in the top of the seventh to win 11-9.

Needing to win by four runs, that put Coeur d’Alene in the position, in the bottom of the seventh, of having to tie the game, then win on a walk-off grand slam — either in the seventh or in extras, as long as the Vikings won by four.

How would you choreograph that?

In any event, the win makes Lake City the No. 1 seed and Coeur d’Alene the No. 2 seed to regionals. Lake City would host the regional title game on Tuesday if it beats No. 4 Post Falls on Monday.

But, as we’ve seen more than once in recent years, seedings mean little in the 5A Region 1 tournament. The top seed has failed to even make it to state on more than one occasion.

Either way, congrats to Lake City on its first league title since 2018.

IN 4A baseball, Sandpoint is the top seed and will host the Region 1 tournament at War Memorial Field starting Monday. Lakeland and Moscow will play in a loser-out game, with the winner facing the Bulldogs in a best-of-3 series for the region’s lone berth to state.

IN 3A baseball, Timberlake and Bonners Ferry meet in a best-of-3 series to determine the lone representative to state from District 1.

Since Bonners Ferry won four of the five Intermountain League games played between the two teams, all three games (Monday, Wednesday and, if necessary, Thursday) will be played at Bonners, all scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

Hopefully darkness does not become an issue.

All of the games were decided by four runs or less, so as far as Bonners Ferry having home-field advantage …

“That makes no difference,” longtime Bonners coach Tom Turpin said. “I think both teams are comfortable on the other team’s field. “We’ve hoisted the (district championship) trophy on their field, and they’ve certainly done it several times on our field. Timberlake’s like our second home field, and our home field is like their second home field.”

IN THE Central Idaho League, Kellogg’s doubleheader at Orofino on Saturday will set the seeds for the 2A District 1 tournament next week at Orofino. Orofino and Grangeville are the top two seeds; Kellogg would need a sweep to jump St. Maries for the third seed. Priest River, which opted not to play all the CIL teams due to travel reasons, is the automatic fifth seed.

IN SOFTBALL, Coeur d’Alene can wrap up its second straight IEL title with a sweep at Post Falls today. The Vikings showed some championship moxie on their home field Tuesday, sweeping first-place Lake City and taking a one-game lead over the Timberwolves, who play Lewiston in a pair of games today.

The 5A regionals start Tuesday.

In 4A, Moscow’s sweep of Sandpoint on Tuesday means the Bears will be the top seed to regionals. Lakeland and Sandpoint will square off next Tuesday in a loser-out game, with the winner taking on Moscow in a best-of-3 series for a berth to state.

In 3A, Timberlake will play host to Bonners Ferry in a best-of-3 series starting Monday for the district’s lone berth to state.

In 2A, St. Maries has secured the top seed to the District 1-2 tourney in Orofino, which starts Tuesday.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.