Frank Dardis stroked a two-run single in the 10th inning to lift the Quad City Blasters to a 9-8 victory over the Minnesota Stars in the 38-and-older championship of the Hiawatha Summer Slam on Sunday.
Dardis also pitched three innings of shutout relief to earn the win. Quad City manager Mike Hutcheson paced the Blasters' 17-hit attack by going 5-for-5.
The Stars, an all-star team made up of players from the local Hiawatha Senior Baseball League, responded by pounding out 15 hits. Dave Benson led the team with three hits, with Joel Rushton, Don Cassels and Tom Dunford having two apiece.
The Stars, the defending 38-and-older champions, were one out from victory when the Blasters hit four consecutive singles in the bottom of the 10th inning, capped by Dardis' game-winning hit.
In the 28-and-older championship, St. Louis Gameface defeated the Iowa Oaks 10-4.
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St. Louis finished in a three-way for first place in its four-team division with Byron Liquor Center and the Des Moines Bruins. St. Louis advanced to the championship game by virtue of having the fewest runs allowed. Byron handed St. Louis its sole loss of the tournament, a 10-9 game on Saturday.
The Oaks won three-consecutive one-run games to advance to the championship. It was the second straight year the Oaks were the runners-up in the tournament.
Holes-in-one
• Darrin; Herrera, of Rochester, shot a hole-in-one Thursday on the par-3, 167-yard eighth hole at Oak Summit. He was using a four-iron. The ace was witnessed by Josh Majsterski.
• Ann; Aney recorded a hole-in-one on the 80-yard seventh hole at Willow Springs using a 3-wood. She was playing with Terry Aney.
