Softballers blast homers for charity at Cranberry derby
CRANBERRY TWP — Fifteen eager softball players blasted for the fences in the name of charity Friday at the Cranberry Cup’s Home Run Derby held at Cranberry Township Community Park.
“This is my fourth year doing it, and it’s a good fundraiser,” said participant Craig Gehm, who has been playing softball for over a decade. “And I like to hit home runs.”
There were cash prizes for the top three finishers, as well as a shiny trophy for the first-place winner. Participants each paid $50 to enter the home run derby. As with all Cranberry Cup events, all proceeds will benefit less fortunate families in Cranberry Township, with the chief beneficiary this year being the Forsyth family.
“First and foremost, it’s for charity, and it’s a competitive event, “ said participant Nathan Kouns. “We all want to hit home runs, but first and foremost, the money goes back to the community, and that’s what it’s all about.”
In the first round, players swung until they reached 10 outs, with an out being defined as any swing that didn’t result in a home run. Participants could pay an extra $20 for two additional swings of the bat. The top six home run hitters in the first round advanced to the second round, where each participant was limited to five outs.
Many of the participants in the Home Run Derby will also be playing in the Cranberry Cup’s softball tournament, which takes place Aug. 5 and 6 at the very same softball fields at Cranberry Community Park.
Johnny Vitovsky will play in the softball tournament for the second time next month, and will do so as a member of the team Brew Monkey. On Friday, he took part in the Home Run Derby for the first time on the advice of his friends and fellow softballers Steve Schoettker and Matthew Dowdy.
“My friends finally convinced me to get in the Home Run Derby,” Vitovsky said. “They were like, ‘Hey, you should enter.’ So I did.”
While the Cranberry Cup’s kickoff event and softball tournament don’t happen for another three weeks, the home run derby was not alone at Community Park on Friday — far from it. The derby took place in conjunction with Cranberry’s Community Days event, with shuttles bringing guests to and from the softball parks.
“[Community Days] asked us to participate and to spread a little light about the cup and what we’re about,” said Cranberry Cup president Anthony Bertolino. “A big part of our organization is softball, so what better way to start than with the home run derby?”
