Birds split two games, advance to championship round

Robby Sutherland had three hits, scored
twice and stole two bases in the win over
West St. Paul.

Chester Bird dropped an 8-1 decision in the morning to Mound but bounced back for an 8-3 win over tournament-host West St. Paul in the afternoon to finish 2-1 in pool play, earning the number one seed and advancing to Sunday's championship bracket of the Moose Country Challenge.

The early game started poorly for the Birds as they allowed two runs in the top of the first inning but managed to get one back in the second when Marcus Barone led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and raced home from their when John Backes reached base on an error.

A six-run fourth inning by the Whitehawks put the game away and finished the game for starting pitcher Scott Quinby with two out in the inning.

Michael Kaminski came on in relief and immediately picked off David Engel at first base to get out of the inning. He would then retire the first eight batters he faced before Engel singled with two out in the seventh inning. However, Kaminski retired Cody Vetvick on a comebacker to the mound on the very next pitch to end his Chester Bird debut in three one-third innings, striking out four of the 10 batters he faced.

The Birds turned the tables in the afternoon, scoring twice in the top of the first inning when Barone was hit by a pitch to start the game. He proceeded to steal second base and, one out later, scored on Keaton Studsrud's double. A groundout by Gabe MacDonald advanced Studsrud, who then scored on Robby Sutherland's double to right-center field.

Chester Bird threatened to have a big inning in the second as Willie Falk walked to lead off the inning and Chris Racchini was hit by a pitch. Sam Lynch then beat out a bunt for a hit and Barone singled home Falk to give The Birds a 3-0 lead with the bases loaded an no out. However, Matt Ambre, Studsrud and MacDonald all hit ground balls to third base and the visitors were unable to tack on any more runs.

Another run in the fourth inning gave Chester Bird a 4-0 lead as Suthlernad singled, moved to second on Jimmy Cron's sacrifice bunt, stole third base and scored on Falk's ground out.

After retiring the first six batters of the game, Falk ran into trouble in the third inning as he gave up a pair of walks, a hit and threw a wild pitch. However, he worked out of the inning by getting a fly out to Sutherland in center field with runners on second and third.

The Birds continued to scored, getting a single run in the four when Barone led off with a walk and moved to second on Ambre's basehit to right. Studsrud singled to put runners on the corners and an errant pickoff throw at first base by Ben Krey allowed Barone to score.

Falk, meanwhile, cruised through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, allowing just one walk and needing just 37 pitches to get through the three inning stretch.

Chester Bird added two more runs in the sixth when Lynch and Barone led off with back-to-back singles off Jake Ihrke, who came on in relief to start the inning, and, one out later, pulled off a double steal to put both runners in scoring positions. A wild pitch then allowed Lynch to scored and Studsrud's fly ball to right field brought home Barone.

Sutherland helped manufacture another run in the seventh when he led off with his third hit of the game. A stolen base and wild pitch moved him to third base and he scored from there when Falk reached on a fielder's choice.

Falk got into trouble in the final inning, issuing three walks and allowing a hit, but Racchini started a double play to get the first two out, a play in which the Challengers scored their third and final run, and Falk then got his seventh strikeout of the game to end the contest.

With the win, The Birds clinched the top spot in the National Pool and will play the second place team in the American Pool at 10 a.m. at Henry Sibley High School. The winner of that game advanced to the 2:30 p.m. championship game.