HARRISON: A trying season came to an end Wednesday for the Highlands baseball team, but not before the Golden Rams tried one last time to make the WPIAL playoffs for the second straight season.
Facing a must-win situation, the Rams could not solve Greensburg Central Catholic starting pitcher Rob Timo and dropped an 11-1, five-inning decision in the final Section 7-AA game for both teams.
Timo held the Rams (5-5, 8-9) to four hits and one run, as the Centurions (7-3, 11-5) knocked the Rams out of the playoffs.
Highlands needed to win and have North Catholic lose to Shady Side Academy to clinch a playoff spot. Only half of the equation worked out, with the Indians winning, 7-2, over the Trojans.
"We battled through a lot of things this year, we had some hard times go against us," said Highlands coach Chas Simoni. "We got a good club."
After a Greensburg Central eight-run fourth inning, that included a two-run home run by WPIAL all-star outfielder Jon Stem, the Rams' bats came alive -- they had three of their four hits in that inning -- when Highlands all-star Chris Turka led off the bottom of the fourth with single. Mike Finley's two out single drove in Turka for the Rams' only run.
Highlands senior Zak Sobotka, a Pitt-Johnstown recruit, is sorry to see the season come to an end. This year has been especially difficult for Sobotka, but Golden Rams rallied around him and his family after the recent death of his father, Pat.
"I really don't know what I would do without the players and everybody," Sobotka said. "They showed up, and I know they all care about me, and without them and my other friends I would not have been able to get through this."
Sobotka said baseball helped take his mind off things and focus on other things.
"It helped a lot to be playing the game," Sobotka said.
Sobotka showed up two days after his father's funeral and played because he felt his father would have wanted him to do so.
"He never missed a game, he would call off work if he had to," Sobotka said.
Turka saw one of the most productive individual seasons in the A-K Valley come to a close. Turka, who is batting over .520 for the season, also will attend Pitt-Johnstown.
"I wish we would've made the playoffs," Turka said.
