Power surge
CENTER TWP— Cory Haser couldn't afford to make an out. Tanner Wahler couldn't bear to watch.
The two 12-year-olds combined for a memorable finish to the third annual Butler County Little League Home Run Derby on Center Township's diamond Monday night.
Wahler, from East Butler, hit nine home runs during the final round and watched intently as Haser, of Zelienople, took his swings. Haser had seven home runs, but nine outs as he dug into the batter's box.
An "out" was any swing that failed to result in a home run. Each batter gets 10 outs per round.
"I was tired, but I had a lot of confidence in Evan (Bauer)," Haser said. "He's one of my best friends and, together, I knew we could do this."
Bauer, a 12-year-old teammate of Haser, served as his pitcher during the event. The other 11 hitters selected either coaches or parents to pitch to them.
After Haser hit a towering homer to left to pull within one of Wahler, he met Bauer midway between the mound and the plate. After the two embraced, Haser walked back toward the plate, picked up his bat and dug in.
"At that point, I couldn't watch anymore,"Wahler said. "He got on a roll and I thought he was going to beat me.
"I looked the other way and asked a friend of mine to tell me what he (Haser) did."
Haser homered deep to left for his 35th round-tripper of the contest — the same number Wahler compiled.
With a chance to win the contest outright, Haser drilled a line drive to left that bounced up against the fence.
Rather than have a playoff to determine a single champion, event director Jay Fennell decided to give both boys a trophy as co-champions.
"I don't have it in my heart to deny one of these guys a trophy after a performance like that,"Fennell said.
After the contest, Wahler and Haser shook hands and congratulated each other.
"This was the fair way to do it,"Haser said of sharing trophies. "Any other way wouldn't have been right."
Wahler hit 16 home runs during the first round while Haser hit 12. Also qualifying for the second round were Sammy Fragale of Zelienople with seven, Zach Collins and Cole Campbell of Center Township with five each.
During the second round, Haser hit 14 homers and Wahler 10, giving them both 26 entering the finals. Fragale hit nine in the second round and wound up third with 16 total homers.
Wahler began the final round by hitting seven home runs in eight swings.
"I was getting tired,"he admitted. "Hitting 16 in the first round was exciting, but it does wear you down."
Wahler competed in this contest last year and managed only one home run while getting eliminated during the first round.
"I was really nervous last year and was swinging at anything,"he said. "I learned to be more relaxed this time and choose my pitches. I got a little nervous in that last round, though."
Wahler hit 15 home runs during this past Little League season. Haser hit eight.Also competing Monday were Logan Maxwell of Meridian, Canan Roskovski and Adam Schaffner of Butler Township, Mike Hepler of Center Township, Chris Ellenberger of Karns City, Andy Fritz and Dakota Bruggeman of Saxonburg.The 12 participants combined to hit 119 home runs during the 2007 Little League season. They hit 110 during the home run derby.Bobby Swartwout of Butler Township hit 50 homers during the inaugural derby two years ago. Derek Grenci of Zelienople belted 24 during a rainy night last year."Once we started this, everybody expected us to keep it going,"Fennell said. "As long as the kids want to do it, we'll keep doing it."The key is to be totally relaxed and swinging at good pitches. All of these kids can hit it out of here."Fennell invites the top 15 home run hitters in the county to enter the derby each year. Swartwout approached him with the idea of a Little League home run derby two years ago.Swartout came to the event Monday on his birthday and shagged flies in the outfield."It's a fun way to end the baseball season,"Swartwout said. "Home run derby is always just for the fun of it."I'm here because I love baseball — and I love watching balls fly out of the yard."
