Remember When?: Bilitski’s HR stuns Charleroi

By The Valley Independent

It is often said that the last out of a baseball game is the hardest to get.

That sentiment was never more evident than it was Wednesday at California for the Charleroi Cougars.

Holding an 8-7 lead with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Cougars were one out away from getting a foot in the door of a WPIAL playoff spot.

But that last out never came.

Instead, California’s Barry Bilitski belted a three-run home run to give California a 10-8 win and a solid advantage in the race for the section’s second and final playoff spot.

The loss dropped Charleroi to 4-5 in the section and two games off the pace behind the Trojans (6-3).

Monessen, meanwhile, was officially eliminated from the chase when the Greyhounds dropped a 7-5 verdict to visiting Frazier (2-9).

At California, the Trojans fell behind 2-0 in the first inning when Charleroi’s Nick Milchovich blasted a two-run homer. But the Trojans battled back with two runs in the second inning and three more in the third.

Swinging the big bat for California was Romaine Howell, who hit three doubles and drove home three runs on the day.

The lead changed hands four times as Charleroi went ahead 8-7 with two runs in the top of the sixth, setting the stage for Bilitski’s heroics in the bottom of the seventh.

Bilitski, who came on in relief in the sixth inning, picked up the win on the mound.

At Monessen, the Greyhounds held a 5-2 lead before Frazier battled back. The Commodores scored two runs in the fifth on a two-run double by Craig Anderson and then tied the score at 5-5 with a tally in the sixth.

In the eight inning, Dan Stolick and Brian Bodnar both had RBI singles to put the winners ahead.

Mike Olivio had two doubles and Bryan Bradley had two singles for Monessen, which closes the season at California.