Two wins moves The Birds into championship round

Chester Bird won two games in the seventh inning and it was enough to give The Birds the third seed in Sunday's championship round of the Hopkins Summer Classic at Hopkins High School.

Friday, The Birds used a five-run seventh inning and then got the final out of the game at home plate in a 7-6 win over Champlin. Saturday, Chester Bird dropped an 11-0 decision in six innings to Tri-City Red followed by a walk-off, 5-4 win over Oakdale.

In Friday's win, Jimmy Heck gave up three hits, two walks and hit a batter in Champlin's three-run second inning but shut the Rebels down until the seventh inning, when they scored three runs. However, Gabe McDonald closed out the win, allowing just one hit after taking over for Heck, a hit which drove in one run but also resulted in the game's final out as Kenny Polarek's throw from left field was relayed home by Greg Zeman and Spencer Shaver applied the tag on Tanner Brust to end the game.

The Birds used single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to begin their comeback from the early 3-0 deficit but a five-run seventh gave them a 7-3 lead. Polarek's RBI double tied the game, Zeman also doubled in a run in the inning and Joe Melles capped the rally with a two-run single.

Saturday's 8 a.m. game with Tri-City Red featured three three-run innings by the victors, who collected 14 hits, including five doubles. The Birds' five-hit offense was led by Bobby Papetti who had a pair of hits.

With a berth in Sunday's championship round at stake, Chester Bird needed to overcome a pair of late game deficits, scoring two runs in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh to post the victory.

The Birds took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Heck led off with a single and scored when Zeman followed with a double into the right field corner.

Joe Washenberger led off the fourth inning with a game-tying home run for the Mavericks and two more runs in the fifth gave them a 3-1 lead.

Chester Bird tied the game in the sixth as Marcus Barone led off the frame with a home run and, one out later, Robby Sutherland doubled into the left field corner. Heck then followed with a base hit to tie the game.

Oakdale regained the lead with a run in the top of the seventh but The Birds would load the bases in the bottom of the frame before Barone's pop up behind second base enabled Zeman to score the tying run and, after Polarek walked to reload the bases, Jack McGinn's ground ball to shortstop, which appeared as if it would send the game into extra innings, was mishandled at second base as pinch runner John Kernan scored the winning run.

Barone picked up the victory, throwing 101 pitches in a six hitter. He walked two and struck out two in collecting the team's first complete game of the season.

The win sends Chester Bird into the 11 a.m. game against Wayzata, a team which The Birds will be facing for the third time in eight days. The winner will move on to face the winner of Hopkins and Tri-City Red for the tournament title at 5 p.m.