With Harlan leading 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, designated hitter Semaj Patterson faced a 2-0 count with no outs and center fielder Isaac Basey on base.
Patterson blasted the pitch over the right-field fence.
“It was basically off my two first at bats,” Patterson said. “My first at bat I didn’t get my hands all the way through and my second at bat I didn’t follow through. The last one he through to me was a fastball down the middle.”
Harlan continued the momentum to knock off Payton in the Class 3A Brooks Sectional semifinals with a 6-1 win.
Harlan (21-11) will face the winner of De La Salle and Latin at noon on Saturday with a chance to repeat as sectional champs.
“It’s very humbling, we want to come back to this situation and win,” Harlan pitcher Torriun Towers said. “We know we have a good team.”
Payton could only muster four hits against Towers, who threw 110 pitches in a complete game..
“He did what he had to do as far as throwing strikes, sometimes when we were up there we were a little too selective,” Payton coach Fred Huerta said. “He did his job throwing the ball over the plate.”
Harlan added an insurance run in the fifth off an RBI single form Yaki Lee.
Payton (7-15) was able to load the bases with two outs in the sixth but Towers ended the inning with a strikeout a three straight pitches.
“I knew not to leave the ball over the plate and not to give them good solid swings,” Towers said.
Payton scored its only run of the game in the first off a sacrifice RBI from second baseman Eric Deward.
Harlan coach Kenny Fullman knows how big wins like these can be.
“Survive and advance, we got our guy Patterson, who went through the supersectional for us last year,” Fullman said. “Our guys play real confident behind him. We will start six freshman on Saturday.”