His team just one out away from punching its ticket to the PIAA Class A baseball championship, Serra Catholic center fielder Tyler Kugler watched intensely as Bishop McCort's Joe Hrbal ripped a hard line-drive in Kugler's direction, a smack that almost-assuredly would bring home the tying run as Zach Freeman stormed around third base.

Kugler, though, had other plans.

Charging the ball, Kugler snatched it then threw a one-hop strike to catcher Chris Miller, who dove to his left and tagged Hrbal just before he crossed home plate, a bang-bang play that earned the Eagles a 5-4 semifinal win at First Commonwealth Field in Homer Center on Monday.

Oh, yeah ... that play earned them one wild celebration, too.

"Everyone ran onto the field and piled on Chris at home plate, got up, and then ran out to center field and piled on Tyler. It was like a bunch of mice running after a bread crumb. You couldn't have written a better book or movie," said Serra coach Brian Dzurenda, who called it the most exciting game he's ever been involved in.

Tomorrow, for the first time, Serra will play for a state baseball title when the Eagles (23-2) face Camp Hill (22-2) at Altoona's Blair County Ballpark at 1 p.m. The District 3 champion Lions overcame a 5-1 first-inning deficit to dismantle Old Forge in six innings, 18-5, in Monday's other semifinal.

There's no telling if tomorrow's game will be anything like Serra's win on Monday, but one thing is for sure: Eagles ace Oliver Girman will get the start.

Girman, a junior right-hander, shut down Clarion in the Eagles' 5-1 quarterfinal victory last Friday, this coming two games after pitching a complete game in a 7-1 win against Carmichaels in the WPIAL championship game.

While Oliver Girman's potential dominance will be one of the main storylines tomorrow, it was his brother, Alain, who played a huge role in getting the Eagles there.

A freshman, Alain Girman notched three of the Eagles six hits, hit a home run and drove in two runs. With the game tied, 4-4, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Girman's sacrifice fly plated junior Jesse Campbell to put Eagles ahead for good.

"He's hands-down the best freshman in the WPIAL," Dzurenda said of Girman, who dislocated a finger sliding into second base in the first inning.

It was in those early innings where it looked as if Serra's season might be coming to an end against the District 6 champion Crimson Crushers and star shortstop Colin Harrington, a University of Virginia recruit.

Bishop McCort led, 3-1, in the bottom of the third, before heavy rain caused the game to be delayed for just under two hours.

Some coaches in Dzurenda's position might have welcomed the delay in hopes of giving their team time to regroup. Dzurenda, though, was less than thrilled.

"I hate long breaks like that because it makes it harder for the kids to focus. Some of the guys were on the bench eating cheeseburgers. Some were kissing their girlfriends behind the dugout," Dzurenda chuckled. "I sent them to the batting cages and told them they need to get their focus back on the game."

And once the skies brightened, so did the Eagles' season, thus putting them in uncharted waters, their first trip to the state title game.

"It's a testament to all of the hard work they've put in," Dzurenda said. "They're true champions. They fought to get there. They're WPIAL champs and they deserve to be in the state championship game."

The Serra boys' basketball and football teams have played in PIAA championship games in recent seasons -- the Eagles won the 2008 PIAA Class A basketball title -- and after a week that has celebrated the fact the baseball team has gotten this far, dreams of going one step further are the central focus.

"I just want to have the kids experience everything that comes with it. It's going to be an awesome experience," Dzurenda said. "But it's not like we're taking our JV team out there. We're going out to win it."

n What: PIAA Class A title game.

n When: 1 p.m. tomorrow.

n Where: Blair County Ballpark, Altoona.

n Who: Serra (23-2) vs. Camp Hill (22-2).

n The skinny: Camp Hill is coming off an easy 18-5 victory against Old Forge in six innings.