YSU

YSU
Recruiting
YOUNGSTOWN -- Cari Leslie, a Grafton Midview High senior, has signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Youngstown State.
A 5-foot-8 outside hitter, Leslie was a two-time first team all-district selection and led Midview to the Lorain County Conference titles in 2001-02. She earned four varsity volleyball letters at Midview.
Katlyn Petit of Doylestown Chippewa High will play basketball at YSU. A 5-foot-10 guard-forward, Petit was a third team All-Ohio pick as a junior and set a school single-season record with 72 3-point goals. She also set the school's single game record with eight 3-pointers. Petit was the Wayne County Athletic League player of the year and was named to the All-Northeast Ohio Inland district first team.
Volleyball
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Freshman Nickole Kennedy finished with a career-high 26 kills and led three other Penguins tallying at least 10 kills, but Youngstown State (8-21) lost to Robert Morris (23-11), 31-33, 37-35, 30-28, 26-30, 15-17, on Wednesday.
Annie Buschur added a season-high 18 kills with five solo blocks, while Colleen Royer recorded her 12th double-double of the season (16 kills and 15 digs).
Sophomore Lori Lyman also collected a double-double with 10 kills and a career-high 20 digs, while freshman setter Angie Pasquinelli set a five-game single-match school record with 76 assists and 10 digs.
Defensively, senior Gabby Ferrell tallied 17 digs while junior Beth Boscarelli added 12 digs.
The Penguins play host to Wright State, tonight at 7.
REGION
Coach suspended for playoff game
PITTSBURGH -- Perry Traditional Academy football coach Bill Gallagher, whose team hasn't allowed a point in 11 games, has been suspended for Saturday's PIAA Class AAA playoff game against General McLane.
Gallagher allegedly used inappropriate language to security personnel as the team was entering Heinz Field before Perry's City league championship game against Brashear on Nov. 7. The coach and an assistant declined to comment on the suspension.
NATION
Baseball news
* SEATTLE -- Bob Melvin, bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks the past two seasons, has been chosen as manager of the Seattle Mariners, the city's two daily newspapers reported today.
* CHICAGO -- All-Star first baseman Paul Konerko agreed to a $23 million, three-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.
* NEW YORK -- Pitcher Andy Pettitte's $11.5 million option was exercised by the New York Yankees in the team's first big decision of the offseason.
* TUCSON, Ariz. -- Mike Hampton will rethink blocking a proposed six-player deal that would send him from Colorado to the Florida Marlins.
The tentative trade would move Hampton and outfielder Juan Pierre to the Marlins for catcher Charles Johnson, outfielder Preston Wilson, left-hander Vic Darensbourg and infielder Pablo Ozuna. Hampton and Johnson have until midday Saturday to decide whether to waive their no-trade clauses.
* SAPPORO, Japan -- Barry Bonds hit a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning, his fifth homer in the first five games of the tour, to lead major league all-stars to a 6-5 win over their Japanese counterparts. The major leaguers are 1-3 in the series.
* ST. LOUIS -- Greg Maddux won his 13th straight Gold Glove, and St. Louis Cardinals players won four of the nine National League awards.
Peppers will appeal
NEW YORK -- Carolina Panthers rookie defensive end Julius Peppers was suspended for four games by the NFL for testing positive for a banned substance in a dietary supplement. Peppers will appeal the suspension, meaning he can play in Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.
WORLD
Agassi loses, soHewitt No. 1
SHANGHAI, China -- Andre Agassi's second loss in the season-ending Masters Cup means Lleyton Hewitt will finish the year with the world No. 1 ranking.
Agassi double-faulted on match point, handing Juan Carlos Ferrero a 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (6) victory. Shortly after the match, Agassi withdrew from the tournament with a hip injury.
Prada forfeits
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Challenger champion Prada forfeited the last race of its best-of-seven quarterfinal series against Alinghi of Switzerland, sending the powerful Swiss team to the America's Cup challenger semifinals.
Vindicator staff/wire reports