Bowen's home run display highlights Futures Showcase stars at Wayne-Holmes All-Star Games
WOOSTER — It's no secret Blake Bowen can hit for power.
He put together one of the best offensive seasons in the entire state this year, hitting seven home runs, 13 doubles and four triples. But Bowen's power had never caused law enforcement to show up.
Until Wednesday.
The Wooster slugger's display at the Wayne-Holmes All-Star Home Run Derby highlighted the performances from the futures players, even after the Red Team beat Bowen's Blue Team 5-2 in the Futures Showcase prior to the derby.
Nobody came close to matching Bowen's official totals of nine (first round) and 19 home runs (championship round), even with College of Wooster campus safety officers putting a premature end to his final round.
With the plate moved up at The College of Wooster's Art Murray Field to closer resemble the dimensions of a high school field and the wind blowing toward right field in the lefty's power zone, Bowen launched a flurry of home runs that began putting the vehicles parked past the right field fence in danger. All the while, Bowen's homers were mostly sailing over the vehicles, onto Gashe St. and hole No. 1 of L.C. Boles Golf Course.
Still, the baseballs falling out of the sky were enough to alert the campus safety officers. Bowen finished his final round with three outs to go in the name of protecting anything and anyone on the other side of the fence.
"It's a memorable moment for sure," Bowen said, smiling.
His 28 home runs over two runs were far more than the rest of the five derby competitors combined (nine total, led by senior finalist Jeff Todaro's six). It even took six swings in the first round for Bowen to hit his first homer.
"I tried to lift it too much and that's not what I should have done," Bowen said. "I tried to stay within myself and hit line drives and the home runs happen on accident."
In the actual game, the cars were much safer, as the two teams used advantageous baserunning much more than the long ball to score runs. There was just one extra-base hit by either team — by Red's Jake Gill (Norwayne) — as the Red did enough pull off the victory.
With mostly players from the Wayne County Athletic League, Red was able to outlast a Blue side that had guys from Wooster, West Holmes, Hiland and Tuslaw.
Smithville's Bryce Butcher was among the best of the bunch for Red, taking home Red MVP honors after starting the game with a pair of scoreless innings on the mound and going 2-for-3 from the No. 4 spot in the batting order. He also scored the first run of the game, stealing second and third after a single and getting home on a throwing error.
"I don't really get to see them," Butcher said about facing players from non-WCAL schools. "It felt good to (play against) guys I wouldn't normally play against."
Another error later in the inning brough Mike Steingass (Norwayne) and Corbin Marshall (Chippewa) home to give Red a 3-0 lead. That proved to be enough as Butcher, Luke Wright (Northwestern), Jack Fickes (Hillsdale), Seth Wyckoff (Dalton) and Gill combined to allow just two runs.
Gill, Marshall, Connor Gatti, Jack Steiner and Jonah Carr each had a hit for Red to join Butcher.
Hiland's Isaak Yoder earned Blue MVP honors, pitching three scoreless innings, hitting a single and scoring a run.
"I worked really hard all season, so it feels really good to see that pay off and be recognized," Yoder said.
Nolan Yoder (Hiland) also went 2-for-3 for Blue with a run scored. Brady Marshall and Liam McCollister also had hits.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Baseball: Wayne-Holmes Futures Showcase and Home Run Derby
