Gartrell Outlasts Porter for Derby Crown

Stefan Gartrell of the Gwinett Braves slammed seven home runs in the final round to top Spanish Fork High's Kayden Porter, who finished with five homers, to win the 2011 Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby.

Gartrell hit just three home runs in his first round, but quickly warmed up in the second, smashing five straight over the left field wall in the second round on his way to a total of nine in the first two rounds. Gartrell carried that groove into the finals, hitting seven home runs.

Porter joined Gartrell in the finals, after hitting a bomb over the barbecue stand in left field in the first round. The show continued in the second round as Porter crushed another nine home runs, which led all participants after two rounds. With the scores wiped clean in the final round, Porter looked like he might take the prize from Gartrell. He hit a rocket over the batter's eye in dead center field, but came up just short on his final out hitting to the warning track and giving Gartrell the crown.

"I started off really slow and I was just happy to get that first one off the board," said Gartrell after his victory. "Once I did that I could relax a little bit, and after that it became like batting practice a little bit."

Bees third baseman Jeff Baisley represented the hometown club by hitting four home runs in the first round, but did not qualify for the finals. Other local product Sam Hall of Bonneville High School hit one home run in the opening round and, like other left-handers in the contest, was a victim of the wind blowing in from right field.