The Starbuck Stars split a pair of home games last week, routing Norway Lake-Sunburg, Friday night (11-0), but falling to a late rally by NLS, Sunday afternoon (8-6).

The Stars are 9-7 overall and 5-4 in the County Line League going into the final week of the regular-season.

This week, Starbuck was set to host Raymond, Wednesday, July 2, but that game has been canceled.  The Stars also are set to play at NL-Sunburg, Sunday, July 6 at 1:30 p.m.

Stars 11, NL-Sunburg 0

The Stars earned a big win against league-leading Norway Lake-Sunburg, Friday night, rapping out 14 hits on the way to an 11-0 victory.

The Stars went up for good with one run in the first inning and ended the game after 6 1/2 innings due to the 10-run rule when they added five more runs in the bottom-half of the sixth.

The Stars’ ninth batter in the lineup, along with the top four batters, went a combined 12-for-19 at the plate with a combined six runs and 10 RBI to lead the offense and Austin Ver Steeg added another pitching gem to earn the victory on the mound.

Ver Steeg, who had a no-hitter in his last outing, gave up three hits and one walk over six innings with seven strikeouts, while Matt Gruber pitched a perfect seventh inning.

Ver Steeg was also 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and a double, while leadoff Cam Simon was 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI, Darion Alexander was 2-for-4 with a run, two RBI and homerun, Matt Gruber was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI-double, and Mitch Gruber was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Adding one hit each were Noah Jensen (RBI-triple) and Aaron Ver Steeg (also scored twice), while Marc Gruber, Jack Walsh and Austin Friese each came around to score one run.

NLS 8, Starbuck 6

NLS scored three runs in the ninth inning to earn an 8-6 victory over Starbuck, Sunday afternoon at home.  One inning earlier, the Stars scored four runs of their own to rally from a 5-2 deficit to take a short-lived 6-5 lead.

The Stars outhit NLS, 14-13, but left 13 runners on base and committed a key error in the ninth inning which led to NLS scoring three unearned runs.

Darion Alexander and Mitch Gruber led the offense.  Alexander was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two walks, while Gruber was 3-for-4 with a run, walk and three doubles.

Cam Simon, Matt Gruber and Austin Ver Steeg added two hits each for Starbuck, while Jackson Hendrickson and Jack Majerus both had one.

Jeff Soine had a big day for NLS with four hits and three RBI, including three doubles.

Alexander started on the mound for Starbuck, but left after six innings and seven strikeouts with the Stars trailing 3-2.  He was relieved by Mitch Gruber, Drew Olsonawski and Matt Gruber, who eventually was credited with the loss.

at Stars 11, NL-Sunburg 0

NL-Sunburg 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 1

Stars (9-6) 1 2 0 3 0 5 x — 11 14 2

HITTING:  STARS-Austin Ver Steeg 3-for-4, 3 RBI, double; Cam Simon 3-for-4, 2 runs, 4 RBI; Darion Alexander 2-for-4, run, 2 RBI, HR; Matt Gruber 2-for-4, run, RBI, double; Mitch Gruber 2-for-3, 2 runs; Noah Jensen 1-for-4, RBI, triple; Aaron Ver Steeg 1-for-2, 2 runs, bb; Marc Gruber, Jack Walsh and Austin Friese, each 0-for-0, 1 run. . . NL-SUN-three with one hit each

PITCHING:  (ip-h-r-er-bb-so):  STARS-Austin Ver Steeg (W)  6-3-0-0-1-7; Matt Gruber 1-0-0-0-0-1 . . . NL-SUN-Weston Gjerde (L)  4-9-6-6-1-1; Justin Johnson 2-5-5-5-1-2

——————————————————-

NLS 8, at Stars 6

NLS 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 — 8 13 0

Stars (9-7) 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 — 6 14 2

HITTING:  STARS-Darion Alexander 3-for-3, RBI, 2 bb; Mitch Gruber 3-for-4, run, bb, three doubles; Cam Simon 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, hbp; Matt Gruber 2-for-4, 2 RBI, bb; Austin Ver Steeg 2-for-4, RBI, sacfly; Jackson Hendrickson 1-for-4, RBI, hbp; Jack Majerus 1-for-2, 2 runs, 2 bb, hbp, sb  . . . NLS-J. Soine 4-for-5, 2 runs, 3 RBI, three doubles; J. Salonek 3-for-5, run, RBI

PITCHING:  STARS-Darion Alexander 6-7-3-3-4-7; Mitch Gruber 1-4-2-2-0-0; Drew Olsonawski 1-0-0-0-0-1; Matt Gruber (L)  1-2-3-0-1-1 . . . NLS-B. Kulseth 7 1/3-10-4-4-3-4; Z. Madsen (W) 1 1/3-4-2-2-3-3; J. Ellingson 1/3-0-0-0-0-1