High Point looking towards 4A South title contest

By James A. McCray III
Prince George's County, Content

There can be much said about two of the leaders of the High Point Eagles baseball team.

Senior starting pitcher Miguel Frias will run off of the mound after a strikeout smacking his glove and pointing towards the sky, showing emotions that surge through the entire team.

Eagles senior catcher Jeff Polanco rises from his stance and shouts instruction to his defensive mates, and the entire team focuses on every syllable of every word he speaks.  

In Wednesday afternoon's 4A South semifinal contest with the visiting Laurel Spartans, both of the senior leaders proved vital in an 8-5 victory for the Eagles.

Frias, the emotional leader, pitched six strong innings scattering three hits and striking out nine Laurel batters, as Polanco, the leader by example, had three hits including a two-run home run, to help lift the Eagles.

"I feel great," Frias said. " ... Today was the best of my life; I did my best job today."

"It feels good," Polanco said. "I have never had a chance to get to the finals like this."

For High Point head coach Brian Rau, having these two leaders on the field is one of many factors that have helped the Eagles reach the regional championship game for the first time in three years.

"He is been so solid for us all year," the coach said of Frias. "He doesn't overpower kids, but he keeps them off balance, and he just doesn't walk anyone."

As for Polanco, Rau added: "When something is going on in the field, I usually don't have to say anything. [Jeff] takes care of business. ... He is the best kid you can have. He is very mature ... and focused, and he leads the team by example."

Frias retired the Laurel batters in order to open the game, and then knocked a solo home run over the left field fence for the first run of the contest in the bottom half, sparking a three-run opening inning.

"[In] the first inning, I hit the ball so hard," Frias admitted. "From that inning, I thought we were winning the ballgame."

With a 4-1 lead heading into the fourth inning, the Eagles seemingly blew the game open on back-to-back home runs.

Polanco knocked a two-run blast over the left center-field fence to increase the lead to 7-1, and teammate Leandro Guzman followed with a solo home run of his own.

"When I got in the box, I was looking for a fastball," Polanco explained. "He threw it and I saw it, and it just went out."

"All of the guys put the ball in play," Rau said, "and when you put the ball in play, good things happen."

Laurel fought back in the game as the Spartans scored four runs in the final inning of the game, two runs coming off the bat of Alex Hanavin with a two-RBI double to make the score 8-5.

However, the late scoring was just a little late, as Laurel and head coach Bryan Harris finish the season.

"Up and down," Harris said of the Laurel season. " ... They started playing ball well near the end of the year, but we fell short of where we wanted to be. It was good for these guys to make it to the regional semifinal.

"For most of the year, I had no more than three seniors in the lineup. Those guys will be missed, but we have a lot of young guys coming back."

The win for High Point was its 12th consecutive victory, and a 13th straight victory will clinch a regional title for the Eagles.

E-mail: James A. McCray III

High Point 8, Laurel 5
Laurel        0 1 0   0 0 0   4 --- 5 5 8
High Point  3 0 1   4 0 0   x --- 8 10 1
WP: Frias   LP: Churchwell
Extra-base hits -- 2B: L(Carmen,Hanavin) HP(Garabito, J. Polanco); 3B: HP(Guzman); HR: HP(Frias, J. Polanco, Guzman)