Birds claims Moose Country Challenge consolation title

Behind strong pitching performances from Gabe MacDonald and Scott Quinby, along with some timely hitting, Chester Bird defeated Rosemount, 4-3, and St. Paul Park, 7-4, to claim the consolation title of the Moose Country Challenge.

MacDonald went the distance, scattering five hits en route to earning the win over Rosemount. He needed just 87 pitches to earn his second victory of the season, allowing five hits with no walks and a strikeout.

The Birds jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Joe Melles and Spencer Shaver each received two-out walks and scored on a Grant Besse double.

Rosemount cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the fourth inning but Chester Bird scored twice in the fifth following the same script as in the first, with Melles drawing a two-out walk while Shaver reached on an error to set up Besse's second two-run double of the game.

MacDonald ran into trouble in the seventh inning when, with one out, he allowed three singles and hit a batter. However, he got a fly ball out, which plated one run, and a ground out to get out of the jam and end the game.

Besse's 3-for-4, four-RBI performance led The Birds offensively and earned him the BOOST Nutritional Drinks player of the game award.

In the consolation championship, it was Quinby's turn to provide a lift to Chester Bird's depleted pitching as he managed to get out of bases loaded jams in the first two innings without allowing a run, giving his team a chance to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first four frames, getting a two-run single from Jack McGinn in the first inning, driving home Melles and Greg Zeman, who also scored on a two-out error in the fourth.

After St. Paul Park scored once in the top of the fifth, The Birds responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning as Zeman drove home Kenny Polarek with a single and, after stealing second base, scored along with Robby Sutherland on Melles' base hit.

St. Paul Park scored one more run in the sixth without having a ball leave the infield but Chester Bird responded with a final run when McGinn scored on a base hit through the left side by Quinby.

Chris Flood made his second pitching appearance of the season in relief of Quinby, allowing a pair of unearned runs before ending the game with a ground ball out.

Zeman went 2-for-3 at the plate, drove in one run and score three times to lead team offensively. Sutherland also added two hits for the Birds.

Quinby scattered seven hits and six walks while allowing just two runs in the six innings. He sealed the BOOST Nutritional Drinks player of the game award with his run-scoring single in the sixth.

The Birds are scheduled for a non-league game, Monday, as they host Fridley in a 6 p.m. game at BSM Field.