A beautiful day at the ballpark: Cape League midsummer classic in Wareham
It was the perfect day for a ballgame Saturday and the more than 5,100 people in attendance at Spillane Field saw the best amateur baseball players in America put their talents on display.
The home crowd got a real show before the game even started when Wareham's Logan Sowers took the Home Run Derby crown launching a total of six home runs out of the park.
"It was a really cool atmosphere. I just tried to stay within myself," said Sowers, who is a sophomore at Indiana University.
The right-handed Sowers hit some towering shots to left field, to the delight of the fans in the left field bleachers, who took home a couple souvenirs and also saw some home run balls bounce off the storage shed over the left field wall.
"Me and Coop [Wareham coach Cooper Farris] have worked on my swing a lot and improved my power," Sowers said.
Sowers hit six home runs in the first round, and only needed one to beat Willie Abreu of Orleans in the final round, reminiscent of a home run derby from his younger days.
"When I was eight or nine, I won one with one home run," he said.
"It's been an up and down summer for me," Sowers added. "[In the Cape League] you see the best pitching in the country."
That pitching was on display Saturday as the East division All-Stars won a tight pitcher's duel 1-0.
One of those stellar pitchers was Wareham's Ian Hamilton, who came on in the sixth inning and got out all three batters he faced, two by strikeout. Hamilton, a junior at Washington State, went on to be named West team co-MVP with Devin Smeltzer of Hyannis.
"It's probably the best accolade I've gotten so far," Hamilton said after the game. Hamilton was previously named a freshman All-American at Washington State.
The day's festivities featured autograph singings by both teams, and plenty of chances for fans to meet the players and get the full Cape Cod Baseball League experience.
"It was a ton of fun," said Nick Adams of Plymouth, who came with his wife Michelle and son Alex. "We want to come back next year."