Jul 15, 2010 By The 2 min read

Colonial No. 3 unloaded five home runs en-route to a 12-7 win over Charleroi in Fayette County American Legion baseball semifinal playoff action Wednesday at Rowe’s Run. The win clinched at least second place and a berth in the regional playoffs, which get under way Friday and run through July 21 at CCAC Boyce.

Regular season champion Uniontown also qualified.

Colonial and Uniontown will meet to decide the county playoff championship after the regionals.

The teams will learn who they play and when they play at tonight’s pairing meeting.

Charleroi jumped to a quick 5-0 lead in the top of the first, before Colonial battled back to tie the score with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and single markers in the second and third frames.

Colonial grabbed the lead for keeps with a trio of runs in the fourth. They added three more in the fifth and one in the seventh, while holding Charleroi to single runs in the five and seventh innings.

Both clubs were hitting the ball, as Charleroi connected for 20 hits and Colonial for 16.

Colonial coach Matt Hibbs said, “While both teams were hitting well, the pitchers scattered the hits enough to keep the game close.”

Ron Holt had Colonial’s big blast as he homered with two mates aboard.

Jack Patterson and Jason Guthrie added two-run shots, and Cody Cross and Frank Rafitz chipped in with solo blasts.

Rafitz and John Bush also doubled for Colonial, while Kaider Anderson, Bob Bracken and John Kite tagged two-baggers for Charleroi.

Rafitz pitched eight innings for the win, scattering 18 hits, while striking out eight and walking one.

Nolan Safora was tagged with the loss.