The Starbuck Stars topped New London-Spicer, Sunday, June 30, 4-1, setting up a game with Regal for the County Line League title.

The two teams were set to meet up Sunday afternoon for the league championship and the result of that game can be found in separate story beginning on page 1B of this week’s paper.

The Stars improved to 8-7 overall and 7-2 in the County Line League with the win over NLS, which didn’t come easy.  

Starbuck outhit the Twins, 16-8, but the Stars left 15 runners on base.  The score was 1-1 through eight innings before the Stars scored three runs in their final at-bat to pull out the exciting victory

Going into the last weekend’s action, Regal and Starbuck were both 7-2, Atwater is 6-3, Paynesville is 5-4, NLS is 2-7 and Norway Lake-Sunburg is 0-9.

The top two teams in the final standings earn first-round byes during the County Line playoffs, set to begin July 13-14, so the game between Regal and Starbuck is not only for the league championship, but could also be for a first-round bye.

The County Line League playoffs continue July 20-21 and July 27-28 with the finals, while the Region Tourney is set for Aug. 2-4 and Aug. 9-11. 

During the season, Starbuck split with Atwater, losing early 4-3 but winning midway through the season at home, 3-0.  Starbuck also fell to Regal in their first meeting on Flag Day, 3-2.

Stars 8, NL-Sunburg 1

Darion Alexander continued his torrid summer with three hits, including a homerun, along with the pitching victory during a 4-1 win by the Starbuck Stars over New London-Spicer last Sunday afternoon.

The win moved the Stars one win away from the league title.

NLS scored the first run of the game off Stars’ starting pitcher, Nick Lavasseur, but Starbuck tied it up with a run in the seventh.

Alexander took over on the mound in the sixth, pitching the final four innings to earn the win.  He gave up just three hits over four innings with five strikeouts.

Lavasseur was just as effective, scattering five hits and four walks over the first five innings while striking out five and giving up one unearned run.

After leaving 15 runners on base, the Stars finally broke things open in their final at-bat, scoring three runs.

Alexander ended the game 3-for-4 with a run, two RBI, a homerun and sacrifice fly.  Mitch Gruber added two more hits, going 2-for-4 with a run, walk and double, while PJ Johnson was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice, Austin Ver Steeg was 2-for-5, and Jackson Hendrickson was also 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Adding one hit each for the Stars were Matt Gruber, Austin Friese, Nick Lavasseur, Mike Andreas and D. Olson.

Starbuck 4, at NLS 1 

Stars (8-7) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 — 4 16 1

NLS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 — 1 8 1

HITTING:  STARS-Darion Alexander 3-for-4, run, HR, 2 RBI, sacfly; PJ Johnson 2-for-3, sac; Mitch Gruber 2-for-4, run, bb, double; Austin Ver Steeg 2-for-5; Jackson Hendrickson 2-for-5, RBI; Matt Gruber 1-for-4, run, double, hbp; Austin Friese 1-for-4, run; Nick Lavasseur 1-for-4, bb; Mike Andreas 1-for-4; D. Olson 1-for-2  . . . NLS-H. Magnuson 2-for-2, RBI, 2 bb; six others with one hit each

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  STARS-Nick Lavasseur 5-5-1-0-4-5; Darion Alexander (W, 2-1)  4-3-0-0-0-5 . . . NLS-B. Kulseth 7-10-1-1-0-4; Mark Danielson (L)  2-6-3-3-2-0

Check out more photos for our photo gallery!