Steady rain all Friday afternoon and into the evening was not enough to deter a record turnout for the annual Home Run Derby at Migley Field.

 

The weather cleared up just before the start of the Derby, allowing 26 competitors to swing for the fences.  In the end, John Arndt continued his domination of the event, winning his fifth Golden Bat by defeating his son, Nate, in the finals, 3-2.

 

It was Nate's third runner-up finish in the past four years.

 

The new dimensions at Migley Field and a breeze out of the north made for a difficult Derby for even the top sluggers.  Arndt needed only 28 total home runs to navigate through the bracket this year, a considerable decrease from Andy Sieradzki's 105 in 2015.

 

It was the second year for the popular bracket format.