Catonsville High left-hander Adam Kolarek outmatched Austin Harclerode through his first two at-bats. Luckily for Centennial, though, Harclerode had a third chance at the plate.
Representing the go-ahead run with his team trailing, 4-2, with one out in the bottom of the fifth in Tuesday?s Class 3A state semifinals, Harclerode slugged a Kolarek change-up over the 380-foot mark on Joe Cannon Stadium?s fence in left-center field to put the Eagles ahead, 5-4, which turned out to be the final score.
Recommended Stories
“I was definitely confident in that at-bat knowing we had base runners on, and I came through big,” said Harclerode, a Towson University-bound third baseman who now has six homers on the year. “I was just trying to get those runners in. Hitting the ball over the fence was more than I could ask for.”
Same too, for Centennial coach Denis Ahearn, who knew the ball was gone right off the bat.
“To see him do what he did today, it makes being a coach more worthwhile than anything you can imagine,” said Ahearn.
Centennial (20-4) moves on to Saturday?s 7 p.m. 3A state final, where they will face the winner of Tuesday night?s late game between Westminster and Huntingtown.
The Eagles have played in the state championship five times ? winning the 2001 and ?04 titles ? and have Harclerode, left-hander Alex Bechta and ace Ben Winter rested.
“It gives us a lot of confidence. It puts us in a great situation,” Ahearn said. “We just have to take a deep breath now, refocus and go out and get the job done.”
Catonsville (17-4) held the momentum from the first at-bat, claiming a four-run lead in the top of the first inning off Eagles starter Shane Mattingly. From there, though, Mattingly settled down, allowing just two hits over the final six innings, striking out eight for the win.
“I just kind of relaxed, said nothing worse can happen to me, and settled in,” Mattingly said.
Aside from the fifth inning, Kolarek ? who is bound for Maryland ? was overpowering. The left-hander struck out 10 and allowed just two hits, save for the four-hit fifth.
Bechta ? the Lafayette-bound centerfielder ? reached base three times, including a clutch double in the five-run fifth.
