Box Score Ryan Kukla (Chicago, Ill.) tossed his fourth complete game of the season, scattering five hits and two walks while striking out four, but an unearned run in the top of the ninth spoiled his performance as the Stars fell to the Aurora University Spartans 2-1, splitting a Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) doubleheader with the second place team in the conference standings.
 
After Kukla retired the first 12 hitters he faced, the Spartans Mike Foley singled to right to lead off the fifth inning and later scored as Brandon Graham singled up the middle after a sacrifice bunt and walk.  Kukla escaped the fifth with no further damage as he got the next two hitters to fly out.
 
Dominican got that run back in the bottom of the sixth as Adam Quinn (Libertyville, Ill.) roped a two-out double and then scored a batter later as Jake Monson booted a ground ball at third base and then threw the ball away allowing Quinn to score from second.
 
The score remained even into the ninth when Kukla got the first two hitters of the frame before Jared Swain doubled to left on ball that turned around the Stars’ Tim Varallo (Chicago, Ill.) before he lost his footing allowing Swain into second standing.  Monson followed with a slow roller to Alex Hernandez (Des Plaines, Ill.) at second, but the ball slipped under the glove of Hernandez who was charging hard allowing Swain to come across for the go-ahead run.
 
Lucas McKinney (Arvada, Colo.) singled back through the box to open the bottom of the ninth but was erased as Cody Schuster (Las Vegas, Nev.) bounced into a double play started by Luke Gilbertson who came on to close out the ninth for his fifth save of the season.
 
Eric Palmer picked up the win for the Spartans, surrendering just one unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out six to move to 3-1 on the season.
 
The Stars close out the 2013 season at 13-27 overall, going 8-14 in the NAC.