JOHN KOVACH | Colleges Marietta's DeSalvo ringing up K's

MARIETTA -- Matt DeSalvo, a junior pitcher for the Marietta College baseball team from Union High and New Castle, is definitely major-league caliber.
Consider this: DeSalvo was averaging 16.8 strikeouts per game (129 overall) entering play last week to lead the Ohio Athletic Conference.
He broke two school strikeout records recently in the same game -- the single-game record with 18 strikeouts, which also gave him the Marietta career record with 321, bettering the previous mark of 309.
He also had the best record (11-1) and lowest earned run average (1.82) in the OAC.
He's pitched 69 2/3 innings this season, giving up 31 hits, 20 runs, 14 earned runs and seven walks.
DeSalvo has led the Pioneers to a 27-7-1 record for coach Don Schaly, including 8-2 in the OAC for first place with a two-game lead over John Carroll (6-4).
Led nation: Last year as a sophomore, DeSalvo had a 13-1 record -- the most wins in the nation in NCAA Division III -- and an 11th-best 1.56 ERA.
He led the OAC in both categories, as well as in strikeouts (138/12.7 per game).
The Pioneers were 44-7 and won their 12th consecutive OAC title.
DeSalvo was selected to the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-America First Team.
He also was named the Kent Tekulve OAC Pitcher of the Year, and made the All-Mideast Region First Team and the All-OAC First Team.
In his freshman season, DeSalvo posted a 7-1 record with a 3.70 ERA and 66 strikeouts, and made second-team All-OAC.
Lamport selected: Katie Lamport, a sophomore on the Malone College softball team from Poland High, has been named to the National Christian College Athletic Association All-East Region Team for the second time.
A designated player and pitcher, Lamport led Malone in batting through 28 games with a .407 average (33-for-81).
Entering last week's play, she helped the Pioneers to a 19-11 record, including 13-5 in the AME for fourth place,
Lamport also tied for the Malone lead in homers with three, and had a second-best 16 RBIs with 15 runs scored and eight doubles.
On the mound, Lamport had a 1-3 record in 19 innings with a 4.79 earned run average and 17 strikeouts. She gave up 23 hits, 20 walks and 13 earned runs.
Westminster recruits: Two area football standouts -- Anthony Ventresco from Boardman High and Youngstown State and Kris Reash of Columbiana High -- have cast their lots with Westminster College.
Ventresco (6-2, 155 tackle) had an outstanding senior season in 1999 for the Spartans, before going on to attend YSU where he bypassed football.
He registered 60 tackles his senior year, including three for losses and 4.5 sacks, to make the All-NEO first team, All-SVC second team and All-Ohio special mention.
On offense, Ventresco was named Boardman's MVP on the line.
Coached by Garry Smith at Boardman, Ventresco is the son of Carol and Joe Ventresco.
Reash (5-11, 250 lineman) came up with 70 tackles and six sacks. He also played offense, with 22.5 pancake blocks, while not allowing a single sack and grading 90 percent or higher in all 10 games.
Coached by Bob Spaite, Reash made the All-Columbiana County and All-Tri-County first teams, as well as All-NEO Ohio honors.
The son of Shelley and Keith Reash, Kris also achieved a 3.6 grade-point average and was a member of the National Honor Society. He plans to major in elementary education.
Loomis ranked: Heather Loomis, a sophomore pitcher for the Gannon University softball team from Jackson-Milton High, is ranked among the national leaders in saves.
Loomis has four saves to rank No. 5 in NCAA Division II, four behind the leader.
She helped Gannon to a 32-10 record.
Bell ends career: Kris Bell of West Middlesex finished his career for the Slippery Rock University golf team recently.
Bell, a senior from Grove City High, tied for 11th place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships held at Hawk Valley Golf Course in Denver, Pa.
He fired a 36-hole score of 14-over-par 158, to help the Rockets place fifth.