Local Majors Have Own Home Run Derby

Monday night was a special day on the Major League Baseball calendar, a day when the best power hitters in the game teamed up to put on a home run derby exhibition for the fans.

While hitters such as David Ortiz and Prince Fielder were hitting monster home runs in Arizona, West Deptford’s Derek Wakeley and Chris Leporati were doing their best to put on a power show for the local fans.

Leporati hit a towering three-run home run to center, while Wakeley added a two-run homer and a solo shot to fuel West Deptford to a 13-2 win over Pitman in five innings in the opening elimination game of the District 15 Major Division All-Star Tournament.

West Deptford will face Glassboro, 9-3 winners over Deptford, in the semifinals Wednesday in Glassboro.

“What we preach to these guys is that no one is going to out-hit us,” said West Deptford manager Mark Ainsley. “We feel real confident all the way one-through-nine, and even our subs our going to hit the ball. Our top six all are capable of leaving the yard at any time.”

Leporati got the power display started by hitting his first home run of the year over the center-field fence to give West Deptford a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

“When it came of the bat, I didn’t really know what was going to come next,” said Leporati said. “I just saw the ball go flying. The outfielder was going back and he didn’t have enough room to catch it and it went over the fence."

The home run had been a long time coming.

“I’ve been waiting for like two years now,” Leporati said.

West Deptford led 4-2 in the top of the second when Wakeley hit his first homer of the game, a two-run shot. He added his second in the fifth inning, helping West Deptford put the mercy rule into effect.

“The first one felt good,” Wakeley said. “I knew it was out when I hit it. The second one, was questionable to go out but it felt good when I hit it. Running the bases was a good time.”

“It’s unbelievable,” Ainsley said of his team’s power. “The players now know to meet the guy at home. They are all pumped, they all feel it. A lot of them call shots now. It’s just real exciting.”

Having 12 players meet him at home plate was an experience Wakeley was happy to have twice.

“I like when the team comes out and congratulates me at the plate,” said Wakeley.

Wakeley finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while Leporati was 3-for-3, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. He was also hit by a pitch.

Eric Ainsley had a pair of RBI hits, and Moonie Garrison and Brian Bernetich each added RBIs.

All of the offense made a winner of Drew Wilden, who allowed just two unearned runs in three innings of work. Wakeley took the mound in the fourth and retired all six hitters he faced.

Both pitchers were aided by the play of Garrison, who made a pair of nice stops at second base, including a throw after a diving stop.

With the team having gone undefeated in pool play and dominating Pitman on Monday, the players are confident that they can continue their winning ways all the way to a championship.

“It’s impressive, because I have never been on a team like this before,” Wakeley said.

“I think we improved a lot from the team last year and got new players on the team now,” added Leporati. “We have been playing hard this year.”