The Route 66 Classic began as the Show Me Classic in 2001. It was the concept of Jason Blackburn, former Lebanon Head Coach Dave Plassmeyer, and former Stoutland Head Coach Jamie Roberts.
The Classic has seen several talented teams and players over the years. Past Champions are
Blue Springs, MO A's; Joplin, MO; Springfield, MO Hillcrest; Rolla, MO; Olympia, IL; Lee's Summit, MO;
and Florissant, MO has won the tournament twice.
The name of the tournament was changed to the Route 66 Classic to recognize the historic
"mother road" that still passes through Lebanon today.
By Israel Potoczny [email protected]
Pitching was not the word of the day during Sunday�s championship game of the Route 66 Classic between Southwest Missouri and Lee�s Summit.
Lee�s Summit used 19 hits, eight walks and five Southwest Missouri errors to plate 16 runs for a 16-6 win.
Leadoff batter Evan Richey was 4-for-6 with two doubles, tournament MVP Daniel Fuchs was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and the Outlaws No. 8-9 batters combined to reach base nine times in 10 plate appearances, scoring seven runs.
Southwest Missouri had plenty of offense of its own, and pulled within three runs (8-5) after leadoff batter Darren Aggus (Webb City) hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.
It was Aggus who got the Knights� offense started in the bottom of the first, as he led off the frame with a triple and came home on Cory Kyle�s RBI double. An RBI single by Daniel Hernandez scored Kyle as the two teams ended the first inning tied at two.
But Lee�s Summit scored three in both the second and third to take an 8-2 lead.
Trailing 9-5, the Knights went in order in the fifth, but rallied in the sixth.
Hernandez led off with a walk, Kyle Tennison (Lebanon) doubled and Aaron Gideon (Newburg) singled. The Knights No. 9 batter, Adam Smith (Stoutland) then walked to load the bases with no outs.
But Aggus flied out on the infield and Beau Harris (Lebanon) hit a hard line drive which was speared by the Warriors 2B Richey who stepped on second base for a double play to end the inning.
Then the Outlaws ended the game with a seven run seventh.