VALLEY SPORTS HISTORY

2014

• The 1969 Frazier Commodores boys basketball team will be inducted into the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame. The Commodores won the WPIAL championship that year. Charles Ramsey, an all-state player and senior on the 1969 squad said, “I think the ultimate thing for an athlete is to be inducted into the hall of fame and we are very proud about this honor.” That championship Commodores team was coached by the late Coach Henry DiVirgilio assisted by Joe Lafko and Chuck Kelley. Ramsey said the thing that made the stand out was their willingness to work hard even when they didn’t have the ball thanks to DiVirgilio’s emphasis on defense. “Defense and conditioning was why we won games,” he said.

• Mitch’s Bail Bonds is no longer among the undefeated teams in the Fayette County Baseball League after a 3-2 loss at New York Pizza. With Mitch’s leading 2-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, NYP scored the game-tying and winning runs on two walks with the bases loaded. KC Zajicek had two hits for the Jailbirds.

2004

• Parker Bongiorno went into the WPIAL’s Class A all-star game at Falconi Field with lowered expectations. The California outfielder said, “I hadn’t picked up a bat since our last game. My dad told me not to feel bad if I didn’t do anything in the game.” Bongiorno didn’t have to feel too bad after winning the Most Valuable Player award in the game. He went 3 for 3 with a double, three RBIs, three stolen bases and two runs scored for the Black team in a 7-7 tie with the Red team. The game was stopped after seven innings due to time constraints. He was joined on the black team by California coach Don Hartman and fellow seniors Bryan Dunn and Jason Dayner.

• Dunlevy stayed on the winning track as the Redbirds upped their record to 4-1 after defeating Pitt-Johnstown, 4-0, in Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League action Sunday. Omar McPherson and Dave Suski each had two goals for the Redbirds. MacPherson opened the scoring in the first half on an assist from Tommy Cameron with Suski making it 2-0 at halftime on an assist from Rob Maglicic.

Suski scored an unassisted goal in the second half with MacPherson closing the scoring on an assist from CJ Cameron.

1994

• Charleroi’s American Legion team had a rough time at the plate in their game against California. The team’s top five batters in the lineup combined produced only two hits. Jason Kon, Josh Skomsky and A.J.Cooper each collected three hits to lead Charleroi to an 11-4 victory upping their team’s record to 7-2. Charleroi never trailed after scoring four runs in the first inning with Kon’s RBI single and the first of two doubles by Skomsky the big hits coming after two errors by California. The hosts added two more runs in the third on Skomsky’s RBI and Cooper’s run-scoring single.

• Front running Baker’s Pub scored 12 runs in the final two innings, including eight in the eighth, to earn a 19-8 win over Lowber in the Belle Vernon-Rostraver Softball League. The winners were led by Frank Hoak (single, double, and two home runs) and Ed Ritzer (two singles, triple, homerun). Teammate Bill Brill added a double and a homer. Lowber was paced by Ben Shipers with a single, double and a home run. In other league action, Monessen PNA defeated S & B 2213; Valley pounded Family Vision 24-7; and Tavern defeated Corning 11-5.