YSU

YSU
Softball
KENT -- Youngstown State team won four of five games at the Kent State Fall Invitational to run its record to 9-1.
Junior Amanda Berry had three hits including two inside-the-park home runs to lead the Penguins to a 7-1 win over Akron.
The Penguins also beat Ashland 3-2, Eastern Michigan 6-4 and Edinboro 4-0 but fell to Kent State 8-2.
LOCAL
Fitch backnamed by SVC
AUSTINTOWN -- Austintown Fitch High junior running back Miles Williams was named Steel Valley Conference player of the week after helping the Falcons beat Cardinal Mooney 17-16 Saturday.
Williams (6 feet-2, 195 pounds) had 17 carries for 62 yards and scored the game-deciding touchdown late in the third quarter.
Ice Zone nightis charity event
BOARDMAN -- The local chapter of the Mother's Hope Foundation will sponsor a "Nite at the Ice Zone" on Oct. 12, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The charity event will send the YSU Penguins hockey team against members of the Northeast Ohio High School Association.
Two former members of the Pittsburgh Penguins will serve as honorary coaches.
For details call (330) 550-4000.
REGION
Cavaliers' preview turns into a dud
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers at least had pictures of their two marquee players, Darius Miles and Ricky Davis, available on the cover of their media guide on Monday.
Davis was a no-show and Miles arrived 95 minutes late for a media day that turned embarrassing for a team seeking to overcome the stigma of three consecutive 50-loss seasons.
Coach John Lucas promised that Miles' tardiness would be dealt with when training camp opens Tuesday.
Ohio St. releases Morris from letter
COLUMBUS -- Ohio State released Derek Morris from his national letter of intent on Monday, school officials said.
Morris, an offensive lineman from Huntersville, N.C., signed with the Buckeyes in February but was never ruled academically eligible by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse to start training with the team.
Pirates' Bill Virdon retires as coach
PITTSBURGH -- Bill Virdon, who has more than 40 years of major league experience as a player, manager and coach, has retired after two seasons as the Pittsburgh Pirates' bench coach.
Virdon, 71, will work for the Pirates in a reduced role next season and will be at spring training as an instructor.
NATION
NFL roundup
* ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner will be sidelined 8-to-10 weeks with a broken pinkie on his throwing hand.
* LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears linebacker Warrick Holdman will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee.
* HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Vinny Testaverde was benched by New York Jets coach Herman Edwards, who said he will turn to Chad Pennington to spark the team's dormant, mistake-riddled offense.
* KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks starting guard Steve Hutchinson will be lost for at least eight weeks with a broken right leg and tight end Jerramy Stevens, the team's top draft choice this year, will be sidelined for a minimum of three weeks with a sprained left ankle.
Baseball attendancedrops 6 percent
NEW YORK -- Average attendance in the major leagues dropped 6.1 percent this year, its second straight decline and the biggest decrease since the season after the 1994-95 strike.
This year's average of 28,168 was the majors' lowest since 1996 and was down from 30,012 last year, according to figures compiled by the commissioner's office.
WORLD
American yachtsfare well on 1st day
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- All three American yachts swept to victory on the opening day of challenger racing in the America's Cup.
Oracle, the San Francisco syndicate, defeated Italy's Prada, winner of the last Louis Vuitton Cup. The four-month series determines which boat faces the defender in sailing's most prestigious event.
The two other U.S. winners Tuesday were Stars & amp; Stripes, the New York yacht skippered by Dennis Conner, and OneWorld, the Seattle syndicate co-run by Microsoft founder Paul Allen.
Vindicator staff/wire reports