Local sports digest

LOCAL
Little League roundup
*BOARDMAN -- The Boardman 13-14 Little League baseball team pounded out 17 hits and scored eight runs in the third inning as it posted a 10-5 victory over Poland in the district championship game.
Boardman advanced to the state tournament in Portsmouth and will play Friday at 2 p.m.
Cameron Shaffer went 5-for-5, with two doubles to spark Boardman. Kyle Jones pitched a complete game to pick up the win and he also chipped in with three hits.
Dan Elch, Jerry Pasquale, Pat Durkin and Eric Walters each had two hits for Boardman.
Mike Day paced Poland with two hits.
*BOARDMAN -- With victories over Kenton 14-2, Kingsville 6-0 and Wheelersburg 3-2, the Boardman 11-12 year old girls Little League softball team will play for the state championship Thursday in Tallmadge at 6 p.m.
Jamie Jones of Boardman had three hits in the win over Kenton. Brooke Meenachan pitched a complete game with 13 strikeouts in the win over Kingsville
Stephanie Sfara had the game-winner hit against Wheelersburg and Alex DiDomenico pitched a complete game with 13 strikeouts for Boardman.
SteelHounds launchmarketing campaign
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown SteelHounds general manager George Manias introduced the team's summer branding marketing campaign that consists of television and radio spots and newspaper and billboard advertisements.
"November is going to be upon us quickly," said Manias. "We are confident that the Valley will know what the fastest game on ice will be this fall and who the SteelHounds are.
"Our branding initiatives will also consist of grass roots efforts in the community by hitting all the summer events, fairs and festivals making it near impossible over the next few months to go anywhere without seeing our logo on a sign."
Season tickets for the SteelHounds are now available by calling (330) 747-PUCK (7825).
Pony ceremonies
NILES -- Pop-rock band Jaded Era will kick off the PONY League 16u National Tournament of Champions girls' softball opening ceremonies at Eastwood Field at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Akron band has been acclaimed "Cleveland's Best Rock Band" by reader polls conducted by the Cleveland Free Times and Scene magazine the last three years.
Thunderplex, Inc. is hosting the PONY League 16u National Championships July 24-29th at The Thunderplex, 812 Youngstown-Kingsville Rd. Vienna. Ninety teams from the U.S. and Canada have qualified for the event.
MUC tabs Venet
ALLIANCE -- Former Mount Union College All-American point guard Suzy Venet has been named the college's women's basketball coach.
Venet, who graduated with degrees in both sports medicine and physical education in 1998, comes to Mount Union from Manchester (Ind.) College, where she led the Spartans to an 11-16 record in her first year as head coach.
She spent four years as an assistant coach at Minnesota State.
Palmer hired by SRU
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Jamal Palmer, a former assistant coach at Shippensburg University, was named Tuesday as assistant men's basketball coach at Slippery Rock University.
Greenville event
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Long Drivers Association (LDA) members Danny Luirette and Tom Roskos will highlight the Greenville Business & amp; Industry Day Monday at Greenville Country Club.
Luirette and Roskos will participate in a warm-up clinic at noon, followed by an 18-hole exhibition and a clinic at 5 p.m.
Roskos, a native of Sharon, was a semifinalist at the 2004 RE/MAX World Long Drive Finals and finished the season 11th on the LDA Tour money list.
Mercer Raceway
Mercer, Pa. -- Mercer Raceway Park will host the popular "Wingless -- The Return/Part V Plus" Saturday.
The event will be fans' only opportunity to see wingless Sprint Cars and Midgets on the same night in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.
Fans of non-wing Sprint Cars will not want to miss their only chance to see traditional Sprint Cars race. The 25-lap Luxaire Heating & amp; Cooling feature will pay $2,000 to-win, $175 to-start and will be a pill draw event.
Gates open at 4:30 p.m., hot laps are at 6:15, and racing begins at 7. Adult admission is $15. Students 6-15 are $7. Children five and under are always free.
The family pass, which admits mom, dad, and up to four kids, is $35. Pit passes are $30.
Vindicator staff/wire reports