YSU

YSU
Baseball
KENT -- Youngstown State dropped a doubleheader to Kent State Wednesday, losing the opener 3-2 and the nightcap 7-2 in 7-inning games.
The Penguins (8-13) led 2-0 in the opener, before Kent (13-10) scored runs in the fourth and fifth, one on a solo home run by Ryan Glass. The winning run scored on a throwing error.
Kendall Schlabach doubled home Kyle Penrod, who had also doubled, with the first YSU run and Tim Stacey singled home Schlabach.
In the second game, a three-run homer by Casey Ellis in the fifth broke open the contest for Kent.
The Penguins return to Horizon League action this weekend in Detroit with single games Friday and Sunday and a doubleheader Saturday.
Softball
CANFIELD -- Youngstown State lost a doubleheader to Pittsburgh Wednesday at McCune Park.
The Panthers (17-23) won the opener 2-0 and the nightcap 4-2.
Pitt's Nikki Gasti tossed a two-hitter in the opener, while Steph Hartman scattered seven hits and allowed two runs, both in the first inning for the Penguins (7-16).
In the nightcap, YSU rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, but allowed the Panthers to score twice in the seventh for the win.
Be Cicero, who suffered the loss, also had an RBI single for the Penguins.
YSU opens Horizon League play Saturday against Illinois-Chicago at McCune Park in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Sunday's doubleheader against Butler at McCune Park has been changed to noon. The game was originally scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Jackie Bak helpsUSA Swimming
MOSCOW, Russia -- Jackie Bak, coach of the Youngstown State swimming and diving team, has played a role in a U.S. swimming team's world success.
Bak, assistant manager for the 2002 U.S. Short Course World Championship Team, helped to direct the squad to the 2002 Fina World Swimming Championship.
The American team broke three world records and seven U.S. marks, and won 26 medals.
Bak, in her fourth year as YSU's coach, has been part of USA Swimming since 1998 when she became business manager of the National Team Division.
She also has worked at the National Distance Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and was with the National Distance Team staff in 2001.
Bak also is in her second year as coach for Penguin Swimming, a USA Swimming club.
LOCAL
Hartzell to speak
NILES -- The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, Mahoning Valley Chapter, will hold its monthly meeting April 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Vernon's Cafe.
The guest speaker will be Dick Hartzell, former area football coach and radio/TV broadcaster and creator of the Jump-Stretch exercise equipment.
For reservations call Steve Tellego at (330) 544-3057. Cost of the dinner is $15.
Deadline extended
YOUNGSTOWN -- The 70th Youngstown City Bowling Tournament has extended its entry date until April 19 at 9 p.m.
The original entry deadline was April 6. Advanced reservations will be extended until April 12, 9 p.m.
Hauser namedathlete of week
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Libby Hauser, a freshman on the Thiel College track team from Reynolds High, has been named Presidents' Athletic Conference Women's Track & amp; Field Athlete of the Week for the third time this season.
Hauser won her third successive javelin championship at the Case Western Reserve Invitational.
Her effort of 135-7 automatically qualified her for the NCAA Division III national championships May 23-25 at St. Paul, Minn.
She also placed fifth in the hammer throw (112-1).
MUC athletes cited
ALLIANCE -- Mount Union College athletes, Meghann Glass in women's golf and Brandon McIntyre in baseball, were honored as players of the week for their respective sports by the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Glass took medalist honors in the Capital Purple and White Invitational with a two-round total of 166, including a final round 79.
McIntyre (3-3) threw his first career no-hitter recently against Ohio Northern when he struck out 10 and walked four in a 3-0 win. For the week he struck out 17 in 13 innings and recorded a 1.38 ERA.
Baseball gamesat Cafaro Field
NILES -- There will be a high school baseball tripleheader Saturday at Cafaro Field.
Howland plays Barberton at 1 p.m., followed by Boardman vs. Barberton at 3:30 p.m. and Boardman vs. Howland at 6 p.m. The final game will be broadcast on WBBW-AM 1240.
Tickets are $3 at the gate.
NATION
Investigationat Notre Dame
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Police are investigating accusations that three Notre Dame football players and a former player raped a female student who was lured to a house with promises of a party.
Vindicator staff/wire reports