HARRISON, N.Y. Austin Pollack stepped into the batters box with added confidence Saturday in the third inning of Harrisons Section 1 Class A Baseball Championship quarterfinal with Somers.
The junior and right fielder had doubled in his first at-bat against Somers pitcher Mike Millman. His second at-bat would result in far-reaching effects.
Pollack crushed a two-run homer to left field, giving the second seed a lead it would never surrender in a 3-1 win over the seventh-seeded Tuskers.
The game was called after six innings and a 2½-hour rain delay. The umpires deemed the field unplayable and made the call.
I was seeing the ball really well and timing him well, Pollack said. My first at-bat gave me confidence, because we knew, coming in, that Somers was a very good team.
Tyler Hart doubled with one out, setting it up for Pollack. After Pollack took the first pitch, Millman attempted to go up and in on him. Instead, the ball presented itself, and Pollack made Millman pay.
It felt fantastic, but whenever you hit the ball like that, its going to feel great, said Pollack, who also made three fine defensive plays in the field.
Not only did his clout give Harrison a 2-1 lead, it was Pollacks first home run of the season. He said he had come close this season, hitting the fence with fly balls a couple of times, before busting it down.
Harrison would add one more run in the inning, and senior pitcher Michael Forgione made it stand. The crafty left-hander allowed three hits and struck out three. After allowing one run on two hits in the first inning, Forgione was in complete control.
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