A microcosm of the Southern Minny Stars’s season took place Saturday night at Marcusen Park in the game between the Stars and the Mankato Mashers.

Monday, August 09, 1999

A microcosm of the Southern Minny Stars’s season took place Saturday night at Marcusen Park in the game between the Stars and the Mankato Mashers. In the last game in Austin of this incarnation of the Stars, the Mashers pulled out a 5-4 win with a run in the 12th inning.

There was rain during the middle innings to remind the fans of the midseason flooding of Marcusen, the Stars were outhit which has been the case all year, 653-495, the Stars made a few outstanding plays in the field with their makeshift lineup that included all three catchers in the field, but their were also a couple of misplays and finally they lost once again in extra innings.

"I have to look it up," Stars field manager Brian Reinke said, "but I believe we have lost something like 15 games in extra innings."

Mankato got on top early with two runs in the first, the second run the result of a misplay of an easy grounder by Nick Iovacchini. He went on to make several outstanding plays in the field. The Stars came back to take the lead with three runs in the second with the help of doubles from Tommy Maestas and Iovacchini. Mankato tied it up with a run in the next half inning.

In the middle of the sixth, Minny Stars baseball clown Paul Pruitt lead his final Village People’s YMCA run around the infield and danced as rain began to fall.

Moments later it began to pour and Aaron Zehnal blasted the first pitch from Mark Pedersen in the sixth over the Subway sign to give the Stars a 4-3 lead.

"It would have been a fitting way to end the year if Zehnal’s home run would have stood up for the win," Reinke said.

It was not to be as Adam Shea tied it up with a bomb of his own to right in the eighth. Then, Graham Martin (4 innings, 1 earned run, 3 hits, 1 walk, and 1 strike out) for the Stars and Justin Craker (4 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 2 walks, and 3 strike outs) for the Mashers took over for starters Joe Sprengard (8 innings, 3 earned runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, 1 HBP, and 3 strike outs) and Pedersen (8 innings, 4 earned runs, 5 hits, 4 walks, 2 HBP, and 6 K’s). Martin and Craker dueled for three innings before either cracked. Martin gave up a double and a single in the 12th to give the Mashers the lead and Craker then held on to it by striking out Joe Albano for the final out of the game.

"We ended up with only 14 players left for our last two games," Reinke said. "It has been a fun two weeks with these guys. They played their hearts out. These guys showed they wanted to be here and learn baseball to take them to the next level.

"It’s disappointing that the Stars will not be in Austin after this year. A lot of tradition has come through this ball park. I certainly would miss the chance to go out to the ballpark, but I love baseball. I hope the fans here know what they will be missing."

"I have had the time of my life my three summers (one as a player with the Rochester Honkers and two as a coach with the Stars) in the Northwoods League," Stars pitching coach Chad Kirby said. "I have made a lot of friends for life. There will be stories I will tell from both on and off the field for the rest of my life. My favorite moment from this year was probably Joe Albano’s game-winning home run against Wausau. I will definitely be involved with summer ball next year. It would be great to be back in the Northwoods League, because it is one of the best Summer Leagues around."