DOLLAR BAY - Moose Lodge-Toivola shortstop Jeff Pollard didn't think he was going to pitch in Thursday's 5-4 win against Quincy's. Then again, he didn't think he'd hit a home run, either.

Like Thursday's weather, baseball had its own agenda.

Pollard relieved starting pitcher T.J. Huotari in the sixth inning after he gave up a walk and a double on 10 pitches.

Pollard entered and threw just eight pitches to collect three outs. A half-inning later, he hit a two-run home run that provided the difference in the win.

"I wasn't sure if I was gonna have to come in," said Pollard. "I was debating whether to come in or not because T.J. was still pitching a pretty good game."

Quincy's got off to an early one-run lead in the first inning when Rob Baril scored on a wild pitch by Huotari.

Toivola threatened to tie with the bases loaded in the second and third innings but did not score a run. Only one of the six baserunners in those innings reached base on a hit.

Pollard led off and reached base on an error in the fourth inning. Bill Schmieglin reached base on a fielder's choice; Pollard was forced out at second base. Jim Maltese walked and Ian Diffenderfer hit a single to left field that scored Schmieglin. Huotari hit an identical single to left field that scored Maltese. Jordan Porter walked and Jason Coffey hit a sacrifice fly that scored Diffenderfer and raised Toivola to a 3-1 lead. Rexx Janowiak flied out to center field to end the inning.

Quincy's tied the game in the next inning on back-to-back doubles and a single. Jim Brey cracked a double off the right-field fence and Alex McDonald scored him on the next pitch with a double of his own. After Jeff Caspary flew out and McDonald advanced to third, Bill Sleeman knocked a single that scored McDonald and tied the game at three.

In the sixth inning, Steve Lishinski hit a double that scored Garth Jorgenson, who earlier reached via base-on-balls by Huotari. Then Pollard came to the mound. He collected three quick outs, then helped himself.

In the top of the seventh and down by a run, Janowiak reached base after he was hit by a pitch.

Left fielder Jeff Jordan hit a single and Janowiak aimed for third but was tagged out in a rundown 10 feet short. Pollard came up to bat and skied a pitch to left field that carried barely over the fence for the home run. The next two batters flied out.

"I had to step up a little bit for these guys," Pollard said. "I'm just happy he gave me the pitch I liked and was able to do somethin' with it."

Pollard came back on the mound and set down Quincy's in the first and last 1-2-3 inning of the game for the win.

"Despite the cold, we only had nine guys," said Quincy's Brey.

"We just couldn't find a rhythm at all to keep it going."

For Toivola, Huotari pitched five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits with a strikeout and five walks.

Pollard pitched two innings and gave up no hits with four strikeouts and zero walks.

Quincy's (7-6) Rob Baril pitched three innings and gave up three runs on four hits with a strikeout and six walks.

Lishinski threw four innings and surrendered two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk.