Idaho State Title Will Be Won In Seattle

Idaho softball

Idaho’s state men’s B slowpitch champion will be decided next weekend in Seattle at the Amateur Softball Association’s Northwest national playoffs.

Officially, that champ should have been crowned last weekend in Idaho Falls. But the tournament was scrapped after just four teams registered.

Instead, Idaho softball commissioner Red Halpern of Coeur d’Alene gave each team the option of entering the NW playoffs. And, the highest Idaho placer will be declared state champs.

Part of the problem is that there are only a dozen B teams in Idaho, which is the state’s highest classification.

Idaho already has a pair of national qualifiers in Sports Cellar of Post Falls and Random Access of Boise. Each won national qualifiers in those respective cities in May and June.

The NW playoffs, from which the top three teams advance to nationals Sept. 21-24 in Shreveport, La., are enticing because a portion of the entry fees are paid back as national travel money.

State champs

North Idaho boasts of a pair of state D (North) slowpitch champions in Coeur d’Alene Asphalt (men) and Turnbull Truckers (women) of Priest River.

Asphalt needed two games to turn back unbeaten Lopez AWT of Post Falls in Sunday evening’s men’s final at Quad Park.

Asphalt pitcher Bob Legasa threw a two-hitter in a 5-0 shutout to force the if-necessary game. The see-saw rematch wasn’t settled until the seventh inning when Mike Holden’s right-field single drove in Jeff Moffat with the go-ahead run for a 7-6 victory.

Moffat and teammate Pete Bowes shared Most Valuable Player honors for the winners, along with shortstop Tony House of Lopez.

“We play (Lopez) all the time,” Moffat said. “We’re just use to each other. We always have tight games.

“In this tournament, in particular, we played great defense.”

Asphalt will travel to the NW national playoffs in Portland on Aug. 24-27.

Turnbull dumped Global Federal Credit Union of Moscow 17-9 in its championship game at Lewiston.

At the women’s C tournament in Lewiston, Moscow Merchants defeated Coeur d’Alene Players twice, 12-10 and 14-7, to take that title.

Pub 41 of Post Falls placed fifth in the 24-team men’s C tournament in Idaho Falls, which was the highest local finish.

The top eight C placers and top four D placers from the North and South qualify for the NW national playoffs.

North Idaho has four teams already entered in national tournaments, including Sports Cellar (men’s B), Regina 5-0 (men’s Plus-50), NAPA Auto Parts and Heartbreakers (women’s Plus-35). There is no national qualifier for those latter two events which will both be played in Portland, including the women’s this weekend.

Tournaments

Coeur d’Alene’s largest slowpitch tournament of the season is church-sponsored. The 18th annual Church of Nazarene Invitational was scheduled to start Thursday and conclude Saturday, with the majority of games played at Ramsey Park. The draw includes 35 men’s and women’s teams from throughout the Northwest.

Western Truck Brokers of Post Falls conducts a coed slowpitch fundraiser this weekend at Quad.

Pub 41’s Last HOO-RAH men’s C and D slowpitch tournament is the final summer event scheduled for Quad on Aug. 26-27.

Softball, however, continues in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls with fall leagues for coed, men’s and women’s slowpitch, plus girls’ fastpitch.