Heavy storms delayed Saturday's North-South All-Star doubleheader in Jasper for four hours.
The wet weather couldn't cool off Gabe Acevedo.
The Portage graduate delivered a two-out, two-run double in the seventh inning of the opener, helping rally the North to a 4-3 victory. He then blasted a two-run home run to center field in the first inning of Game 2, a 14-10 North win.
Acevedo, a third baseman, finished 4-for-8 with four RBIs for the weekend, earning series Most Valuable Player honors.
"Actually, it was kind of shocking," said Acevedo, who will receive a ring from Josten's to commemorate the honor. "I wasn't expecting to get MVP. There were a lot of really, really good kids there performing really, really well. I wasn't the only one hitting home runs. It's pretty cool."
The North was down to its last strike in the opener, trailing 1-0 in the seventh. Acevedo took a low and outside pitch on an 0-2 count into right-center field to put the North in front.
"Something had to happen," Acevedo said. "I had to battle to get those runs in. I was able to fight it off. I was happy I got to do that, especially against that competition. It was pretty fun."
Acevedo's home run in the second game came on a first-pitch fastball.
"All the pitchers threw really hard. There were guys throwing in the 90s," he said. "I just got a good first pitch. It was right there and I just did what I usually do with it."
The South averted a sweep by edging the North 2-1 on Sunday in a wooden bat game.
"It's a pretty big deal, given the amount of talent that's in those games," Portage coach Tim Pirowski said of Acevedo's honor.
Acevedo, who will play at Western Illinois, was a two-time Times first-team all-area selection. He hit .526 as a senior with seven home runs and 48 RBIs. He is playing this summer with the Indiana Breakers.
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