Lightning stops Klassic in final round

In the end, the rain did win.

The Kelso Klassic men's fast-pitch softball tournament, which had been postponed from June due to rain, ended with a bolt of lightning Sunday in Kelso.

The tournament, in its 21st year, has been affected by rain 17 of the last 18 times, including earlier this year.

"The odds have to be astronomical," said Rick Heuring, one of the tournament organizers.

Especially considering Southeast Missouri has had few instances of rain this summer.

The good news, at least for one team, was that it met the criteria for the championship.

Radom Lee's Sports was unbeaten in the tournament, clinching the title with a 2-2 tie in the first game of the championship series when it was stopped by lightning.

"The lightning was so bad, we just couldn't play," Heuring saud. "They did the right thing by stopping the game."

Radom Lee's Sports, which had won its first three games to get through the winners bracket, scored a run in the fifth to tie the game against the Wolfpack, which had lost to Radom 7-1 on Saturday to drop into the losers bracket.

Tournament rules allow the championship round to count as official games at seven innings.

The Wolfpack, from Smithton, Ill., won three games Sunday to reach the final after winning one Saturday night in the losers bracket. They would have had to beat Radom twice Sunday to win the title outright.

Radom, which captured the winners bracket Sunday morning by beating Nokomis 9-1, had both the most valuable player and the most valuable pitcher.

Infielder Ryan Colle won top player honors after hitting .667 (8-for-12) with a home run, six runs batted in and six runs scored.

Mark Radake was named the top pitcher. He was 2-0 with two runs allowed in 13 innings. He allowed 10 hits and one walk while striking out six. Radake posted the win against Nokomis in the winners bracket final.

Nokomis finished third, and SI Budweiser placed fourth.

Scores

Winners bracket

Radom Lee's Sports 9, Nokomis 1

Losers bracket

Wolfpack 4, Springfield Parrots 3

SI Budweiser 4, Memphis Dawgs 2

Wolfpack 3, SI Budweiser 2

Wolfpack 9, Nokomis 4

Championship

Radom Lee's Sports 2, Wolfpack 2, suspended by lightning

(Radom Lee's Sports won the championship with its perfect record.)