ROCKPORT (May 30): Batters of all ages stepped to the plate, saw the pitch they liked and, more often than not, ripped it, with many balls flying over the fences.

Of course, hitting the ball over the fence was the idea during the fifth annual MONEY (More Opportunities for NEighborhood Youth) Athletic Foundation Home Run Derby Sunday at the Rockport Recreation Field on Route 90.

The event, held in memory of Mikail R. Russo, a former student-athlete in the Camden-Rockport area, saw three swingers rise to the top of the pack to win titles. Zach Durkee of Medomak Valley won the high school division, Zach Dufour of Hope-Appleton-Lincolnville the junior high division and Wade Oliver the open/adult division.

This popular fundraiser, which netted about $9,000, always emphasizes family fun and community spirit. In order to participate, middle and high school baseball players had to sell a minimum of 10 raffle tickets. The athlete who sold the most won four tickets to a Boston Red Sox baseball game and the team that sold the most won tickets to the Portland Sea Dogs.

Adults participated in the event by donating $20 to the foundation. Proceeds benefit young Midcoast athletes.

Perhaps fittingly, Durkee, the high school champ, won four tickets to a Red Sox versus the Kansas City Royals game, courtesy of Rick and Ann Bresnahan of Hope, for being the individual who sold the most tickets. Durkee sold about 150 tickets at $5 apiece to raise about $750 for the fund.

The second best individual ticket seller was Thomas Kennedy of Camden-Rockport Middle School. Kennedy won four tickets to a Boston Red Sox versus Oakland Athletics game.

Medomak Valley sold the most tickets as a team and earned 22 seats in the Ted Williams Skybox at a June series between the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field. The tickets were courtesy of Micucci Wholesale in Portland. Camden native Mike MacDonald is a starting pitcher for the Fisher Cats and may pitch in that series.

The Mikail R. Russo More Opportunities for NEighborhood Youth Athletic Foundation was created to ease the cost of youth athletics. The memorial foundation uses donations to assist teams, organizations and individuals who show need and work hard to reach their athletic goals.

During the last year the MONEY Athletic Foundation awarded more than $12,000 in grants. Since the foundation�s inception in January 2002, it has awarded more than $44,500 and helped more than 200 children go to summer sports camps, participate on travel teams, attend recreational programs and purchase equipment.

For more information, go to moneyathleticfoundation.org.

The individual results from the home run derby for each division were:

High school

Finals: Durkee, Medomak Valley, 58 points; John Coppola, Rockland, 48; Ben Baudanza-Sturks, Rockland, 27; Dom Morrill, Rockland, 16; Zach Pease, Medomak Valley, 12; Calen Erskine, Camden Hills, 11; Josh Elwell, Rockland, 10; Dan Ford, Camden Hills, eight; Alex Goldrup, Medomak Valley, seven; Tom Kennedy, and Andy Ferrier, Medomak Valley, both six; and Ben Holbrook, Camden Hills, three.

First round:

Camden Hills � Erskine, 31 points; Holbrook, eight; Ford, seven; Paul Henderson, four; Jamie Caswell, three; Christian Pieri, two; Mike Cummons, one; and Crosby Johnson and Taylor Gartley, none.

Georges Valley � Matt Shields, three points.

Rockland � Elwell, 19 points; Baudanza-Sturks, 15; Morrill, 11; Coppola, six; and David Searle, none.

Medomak Valley � Durkee, 14 points; Goldrup, 12; Ferrier, seven; Pease and Kennedy, both six; Marcus Benner and Nate Ayotte, three; Jared Simmons, two; and Jamie Merrifield, one.

Junior high

Finals: Dufour, HAL, 18 points; Lucas Morrill, Rockland District Middle School, 17; Owen McFarland, Camden-Rockport, 7; Michael Crockett, CR, six; Kevin Pierce, CR, four; Billy Ray Denman, HAL, three; Thomas Kennedy, CR, two; and Joey Nelsen, Rockland, one. Ironically, Casey Morrill, father of Lucas Morrill, pitched to both Dufour and his son during the finals.

First round:

HAL � Dufour, nine points; Denman, four; Andrew Baxter, one; and Chris Josselyn and Sam Vail, none.

Thomaston Grammar School � Cameron Henry, one point; and Alec Young and Dakota Smith, both none.

Rockland � Morrill, nine points; Nelsen, three; Alex Young and Brent Weldon, both one; and T.J. Dodge, Jeffrey Jordan and Derek Gustin, none.

Medomak Valley's Tom Kennedy connects. (Photo by Daniel O'Connell)

Camden-Rockport � Crockett and McFarland, both six points; Pierce, four; Kennedy, two; and Jacob Filderman, one.

Open/adult

Oliver, the overall champ last year, won with 23 points, including hitting five balls completely out of the park Other results included: John Bonney, 13 points; Tom Dennen, 12; Brian Fitzpatrick, 11; Ben Vail, nine; Rory O'Donnell, Greg Stammen and Jon Wickenden, all seven; Brad Hamilton, Will Gartley and Sam Adolphsen, all six; Matt Rector, Shawn Hiller, Paul Russo, Casey Morrill and Chuck Crans, all five; Laura Gross, Keagan Russo and Rob Linscott, all four; Richie Oliver and Matt Judkins, both three; Paul Leeper, Steve Hiller and John Murray, all two; James Murray, Martha Crockett, Mattie Crockett, Ed Crockett, Seth Crockett, Taylor Benzie, David Paul and Andrew Hart, all one; and Anne Dennen, Matt Cates, Zoe Goodridge, Alyce Goodridge, Jakob Murrray, Stephen Goodridge and Uriah Gillespie, none.

Additional photos from the event will appear later with this story. Other photos will appear in the May 31 edition of the VillageSoup Times newspaper.