By Chuck Anderson, Tribune Sports Writer

ALBERT LEA &045; Using a strong and consistent offense, Salem Lutheran won the Brotherhood Dartball Playoff title in 11 innings over Ascension Lutheran, the regular-season champion, 16-12 Monday night at Pickerel Lake Church.

Salem defeated Ascension last year in the semifinals but fell to Conger-Bear Lake 10-9 in the finals.

The evening began with a great meal, prepared and served by players on the Pickerel Lake team.

A large group of 147 players were in attendance.

A short business meeting was held after the meal. Ted Yost of the Pickerel Lake team was unanimously elected vice president. A motion to allow Crossroads Evangelical Free Church to enter the league next year was approved. The league will donate the following amounts to the Salvation Army food shelves; Albert Lea, $750; Alden, $100; and Iowa, $100. The Make-A-Wish Foundation will receive $200.

Dartball is just as it sounds, with players tossing darts &045; underhanded &045; at a target laid out like a baseball field. Batters get hits or outs, depending on where their darts land, and games are scored like baseball. But unlike traditional church activities, heckling of one’s opponents is not only allowed but at times encouraged.

In 2004-05 regular-season play, Ascension Lutheran continued its dominance by winning a fifth straight title but fell in the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Ascension and second-place Conger-Bear Lake received first-round byes in the playoffs.

In opening-round action the third seed, Salem, defeated sixth-seeded Mansfield 7-4 and fifth seed Trinity won over the fourth seed Leland 11-2.

Semifinal games saw Salem defeating Conger-Bear Lake 20-11 and Ascension topping Trinity 22-7.

In a closely-contested title game Salem took a 4-1 lead after one inning and held on to the lead after the second inning 5-4. Salem scored one run in both the third and fourth innings while

Ascension scored two in the fourth. Both teams were scoreless in the fifth. Ascension scored two runs in the sixth to one for Salem to tie the score at 8-8.

Ascension took its first lead of the game scoring four runs to two for Salem at the end of seven innings. The eighth inning was scoreless. Salem fought back with two runs in the ninth to tie the score at 12-12. After a scoreless 10th inning, Salem scored four runs in 11th to win the playoff title.