The Starbuck Stars went 2-1 at the Stearns County Classic Tournament, Saturday and Sunday.  The Stars won two games, Saturday, beating Litchfield (3-2) and Lake Henry (5-1) before losing a close game to Foley, Sunday (6-4).

The Stars are now 3-4 overall heading into this week’s action, which includes a home game with Paynesville, Saturday and a game at Regal, Sunday. 

Stars 3, Litchfield 2

The Stars scored two first-inning runs on the way to a 3-2 victory over Litchfield in the opening game of the Stearns County Classic, Saturday.

Litchfield, which outhit the Stars 6-5, scored a run in the third, but the Stars scored another run in the fourth and that proved to be the winning run.

Austin Versteeg earned the victory on the mound, striking out 10 batters in six innings before giving way to Darion Alexander, who pitched one inning in relief.

Coming through with one hit each for the Stars were Michael Gruber, Alexander, Matt Gruber, Jackson Hendrickson and Austin Friese.

Stars 5, Lake Henry 1

Darion Alexander had a day to remember and the Stars scored in four of their seven at-bats on the way to a 5-1 victory over Lake Henry in the second game of the tourney, Saturday.

Alexander not only earned the victory on the mound, coming within one inning of a no-hitter, but he hit for the cycle, smashing a solo homer in the first, doubling in the third, singling in the fifth and tripling in the seventh.  That was more than enough offense for the Stars, who had 10 hits on the night.

Dylan Alexander also had a big game, going 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Darion Alexander had allowed just two hit batsmen all night before giving up two hits and a walk in the seventh as Lake Henry plated its only run.  Matt Gruber, Andrew Toop, Aaron Versteeg and Mitchell Gruber also had hits for the Stars

Foley 6, Stars 4

Foley jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held on for a 6-4 victory over Starbuck during the final game of the Stearns County Classic, Sunday.

The Stars finally got on the board in the sixth, scoring four runs, but the rally came up a couple runs short as Foley added one more run in the seventh for the final score.

Michael Gruber, Torii Johnson, Austin Versteeg, Austin Friese, Mitchell Gruber, Aaron Versteeg and Drew Olsonaski had one hit each for the Stars, while Aaron Versteeg, the first of three Starbuck pitchers, took the loss.

The first five batters reached safely in the sixth inning for the Stars  before Foley got the final two batters out on a line out to right and ground out to short.

Starbuck 3, Litchfield 2

Starbuck (2-3) 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 3 5 0

Litchfield 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 — 2 6 3

HITTING:  STARS-Michael Gruber 1-for-3, 1 run, double, bb; Darion Alexander 1-for-2, 1 run, 2 bb; Matt Gruber 1-for-3, RBI, bb, sb; Jackson Hendrickson 1-for-3, RBI; Austin Friese 1-for-2; Austin Versteeg RBI; Aaron Versteeg 1 run . . . LITCH-Andrew Lock 2-for-4; Bennet Leecher 2-for-4, RBI

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  STARS-Austin Versteeg (W)  6-5-2-2-3-10; Darion Alexander 1-1-0-0-1-1 . . . LITCH-Ben Alseben (L)  7-5-3-2-4-4

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Starbuck 6, Lake Henry 1

Starbuck (3-3) 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 — 5 10 1

Lake Henry 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 1 2 0

HITTING:  STARS-Darion Alexander 4-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double, triple, HR; Dylan Alexander 2-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR; Matt Gruber 1-for-4, RBI; Aaron Versteeg 1-for-3; Mitchell Gruber 1-for-3, 1 run; Andrew Toop 1-for-1, 1 run . . . LH-two players with one hit each

PITCHING:  STARS-Darion Alexander (W) 7-2-1-1-1-4 . . . LH-Sam Hopfer (L)  7-10-5-5-0-4

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Foley 6, Starbuck 4

Foley 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 — 6 4 0

Starbuck (3-4) 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 — 4 7 4

HITTING:  STARS-Michael Gruber 1-for-3, 1 run, bb; Torii Johnson 1-for-3, 1 run, RBI; Austin Versteeg 1-for-2, RBI, 2 bb; Austin Friese 1-for-3, RBI; Mitchell Gruber 1-for-2, 1 run; Aaron Versteeg 1-for-3, double; Drew Olsonaski 1-for-1, double; Matt Gruber 0-for-3, 1 run, hbp; Andrew Toop 0-for-3, RBI . . . FOLEY-Joe Zinick 2-for-3, 1 run, RBI

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  STARS-Aaron Versteeg (L) 5-2-4-2-2-5; Michael Gruber 1-2-1-0-0-1; Torii Johnson 1-0-1-0-1-0 . . . FOLEY-Mike Moulzof (W)  5-5-4-4-2-2; Hunter Hammers 2-2-0-0-1-1