Birds' season ends with 6-5 loss to Edina

Dan Labosky's 4-for-4 effort saw him finish the season with

a .509 batting average.

Chester Bird dropped a 6-5 decision at Edina and, coupled with St. Louis Park's 3-2 win at Bloomington Blue, The Birds' 2012 came to a close.
The Hornets scored three runs off of Chester Bird starter Jimmy Heck but it was a three-run fourth inning off of Marcus Barone that won the game for the hosts.

Barone came on to start the bottom of the fourth inning and gave up four groundball hits, including a pair of infield singles.

Edina took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first but The Birds responded with two runs in the top of the second when Matt Ambre doubled with one out and Robby Sutherland walked. Sutherland was erased on a fielder's choice groundball by Sam Lynch but an errant relay throw from shorstop Nick Leer to first base allowed Ambre to score. Dan Labosky then followed with an RBI triple but was stranded at third base.

Matt Hopfner gave Edina the lead back in the third inning with a two-run home run but Chester Bird took its second lead with a three-run fourth.

Sutherland walked with one out and, with two out, stole second base. He then scored when Labosky single and advanced to second on the throw home ahead of a Barone base hit. Heck then doubled to right-center field to drive in two runs and give The Birds a 5-3 lead.

Edina regained the lead with its three-run fourth and Mitch Larson then came on in relief of Hopfner for the fifth inning, working three scoreless innings to preserve the lead and earn a save.

Heck allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits over three innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out two. Barone also gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits while walking one and fanning two in three innings.

Labosky, and Edina native, was the hitting star of the game, going 4-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored. He ended the season with an eight-game hitting streak, during which time he hit .640 (16-for-25) with four triples, three doubles and eight RBI.

After falling to the Hornets, to finish the South Hennepin League season with a 4-5 record, The Birds had to wait several hours before finding out their ultimate fate. St. Louis Park handed Bloomington Blue a 3-2 loss to finish 5-4 in SHL play and claim the sixth and final spot from the league for this weekend's District 10 playoffs.