YSU

YSU
Softball
DAYTON -- Illinois-Chicago sophomore Jacque Vaca went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, as the Flames defeated Youngstown State 8-0 in the first round of the Horizon League tournament Thursday.
UIC (39-20) is the top-seeded team in the tournament and four-time defending conference champion.
UIC sophomore Amanda Rivera went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
Horizon League co-pitcher of the Year Alison Aguilar remained undefeated against league opponents this season, allowing four hits while striking out seven en route to her career-best 20th win of the season.
YSU's Stephanie Hartman (6-18) was pegged with the loss, allowing 13 hits and five earned runs.
YSU (10-31) was to play Wright State in a consolation bracket game today at 9 a.m. If the Penguins won that game they were scheduled to return at 1:30 p.m. to face either UW-Green Bay or Butler.
LOCAL
Girard clinchesTAC championship
GIRARD -- The Girard High baseball team defeated Newton Falls 3-1 Wednesday to clinch the Trumbull Athletic Conference title with a 13-3 record.
The Indians (17-3) open tournament play here Monday with a sectional final game against Lisbon.
Mount Union winsconference opener
MARIETTA -- Mount Union (19-17-1) won the opener of the Ohio Athletic Conference baseball tournament, defeating Otterbein 8-5 Thursday.
The Purple Raiders had a five-run rally in the top of the fourth inning to take the advantage. Mount Union's Mike Miller and Pete Couch collected three hits apiece in the victory. Miller tallied one triple and one RBI, while Couch had the only home run of the game. Eric Bunnell contributed with two hits and three RBIs for the Purple Raiders.
The Raiders' Brandon McIntyre (6-6) pitched a complete game, giving up only two earned runs.
Mount Union was to play Marietta today at noon.
Krivonak's hit clinches title
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Senior John Krivonak, a Canfield native, drove in Mike DePalma with a single in the 10th inning for the game-winning run as Johns Hopkins University topped Muhlenberg 5-4 in the Centennial Conference championship game.
The Blue Jays (34-7) won their fifth Centennial championship and received a conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic regional tournament.
Krivonak was also selected to the All-Centennial Conference baseball team.
He finished the season with a .363 batting average, with 33 hits, 19 RBIs and posted a .474 on base percentage.
NATION
Duncan namedleague MVP
SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan edged New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd for NBA MVP honors.
Duncan received 57 first-place votes and 954 points from a panel of 126 sports writers and broadcasters, while Kidd drew 45 first-place votes and 897 points.
NFL to testfor ephedra
NEW YORK -- The NFL will test players for the stimulant ephedra, the first U.S. professional sports league to do so, The New York Times reported today.
Fight set
INDIANAPOLIS -- Shane Mosley will meet unbeaten Vernon Forrest on July 20 in a rematch of the fight that cost Mosley his welterweight title.
Vindicator staff/wire reports