Stars’ latest skid reaches seven

Published 12:00 am Monday, August 2, 1999

The Southern Minny Stars’ second-half slide into oblivion continued over the weekend at Marcusen Park as the Waterloo Bucks completed a four-game sweep on Saturday, winning 5-4 in 12 innings.

Monday, August 02, 1999

The Southern Minny Stars’ second-half slide into oblivion continued over the weekend at Marcusen Park as the Waterloo Bucks completed a four-game sweep on Saturday, winning 5-4 in 12 innings. On Sunday, the Grand Forks Channel Cats handed the Stars their seventh straight defeat, winning 7-2.

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Saturday’s defeat was the second in a row in extra innings.

The Bucks opened the scoring with a run in the sixth, but their lead was short lived as the Stars scored a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead going into the seventh.

The Bucks answered with three runs on four hits to take the lead. The Stars clawed back with one in the seventh and one in the eighth to tie the game up.

John Fagan reached base after getting hit by a pitch to lead off the 12th for the Bucks. Pinch runner Matt Meadows moved to second after Frank Kunich was also hit. A double steal moved the runners to second and third with one out, and Creston Whitaker drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Starting pitcher Enriques Baca, a late-season addition to the Stars via Trinidad State Junior College, has been one of the Stars few bright spots in the second half of the season. Baca pitched solid Saturday night, giving up 10 hits and four earned runs in 10 innings, but was hurt by Waterloo’s last three spots in the batting order. Tim Nettles, Jason Simon and Fagan accounted for six hits, two doubles, three RBIs and all five runs.

Brian Curtin, a 6-foot, 6-inch sophomore from Iowa State, went seven innings for the Bucks, giving up three runs on four hits. He struck out one and walked three.

Illinois State sophomore Steve Hecker, the Bucks’ third reliever of the night, went 4 2/3-innings to get the win. Hecker (3-2), who leads the Northwoods League in saves with 10, gave up no hits and walked two, one of which was intentional.

Josh Coreman took the loss for the Stars.

Joe Rockers led the Stars at the plate with two hits, including a double. He also drove in a run.

Sunday afternoon, the Channel Cats, the only team with a lower team batting average than the Stars, pounded out 15 hits, including three doubles and a home run. The Stars had five hits, all singles.

The Cats entered the game batting .248 compared to the Stars’ .261.

Eric Smith (1-0) picked up the win after giving up one unearned run and two hits. He struck out two and walked two.

Randy Vanderplow got the save. He gave up three hits and struck out two in two innings of work.

Mike Maiocco, who led Stars in victories and ERA last year and like Baca, was a late-season addition, took the loss. Maiocco (1-1) gave up four earned runs and walked one. The side-arm delivery from the righty netted six strikeouts, but yielded 11 hits in 6 1/3-innings.

Graham Martin relieved Maiocco and had similar results. Martin gave up three earned runs on four hits.

The game was 1-1 going into the seventh, Maiocco’s final inning. The Cats pushed three runs across the plate on five hits to break the game wide open. They added three runs more in the ninth, two of which were courtesy of Aaron Larsen’s 11th home run of the season, to put the Stars away.

The Stars had three hits in the ninth, but could only get one run.

Larsen, who entered the game trailing Rochester’s Jesse Zimmer by two home runs for the league lead, was 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored, as well as the homer.

Lead-off hitter Rich Hoffman and Matt Teahen also had three hits for the Bucks. Hoffman’s three hits were all triples, pushing his season total to four, which ranks third in the league.

The Stars will host the Cats for the final game of the two-game set tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Marcusen Park. It is also the Stars’ second to last home game of the season. The Stars will hit the road Tuesday for four days of two-game sets with Wisconsin and Brainerd, before returning to face Mankato on Saturday. The Stars will close out the season in Mankato on Sunday with the divisional playoffs beginning Aug. 9.