YSU

YSU
Baseball
STRUTHERS -- Central Michigan scored five unanswered runs over the final four innings to defeat Youngstown State 7-3 in the finale of a three-game series Sunday at Cene Park.
Kurtis Wells had three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored for the Chippewas (13-7). Tommy Nutt's two hits and one RBI led YSU (7-12).
CMU's Jayson Ruhlman (4-1) allowed three runs on six hits and walked four in 61/3 innings. Eric Shaffer was charged with the loss, allowing four runs -- two earned -- on eight hits in five innings.
The Chippewas scratched out an unearned run in the second, then YSU answered in the bottom of the second when Josh Page knocked in Brian Boone with a two-out single.
Another unearned run in the third gave CMU a 2-1 advantage, but the Penguins scored two runs in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. Page walked to start the inning and advanced to second on J.J. Hannan's single. Nutt then singled home Page, and Hannan scored two batters later on Schultz's groundout.
From that point, Central Michigan pitchers retired 15 of the Penguins' next 17 hitters. The Chippewas scored two runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the ninth.
The Penguins will play host to Duquesne in a doubleheader Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Cene Park.
Football alumni
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown State football alumni will hold its annual alumni weekend April 28-29 with a variety of activities scheduled.
The weekend will begin April 28 with a spaghetti dinner at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center at 6:30 p.m.
There is a golf outing scheduled April 29 at Oak Tree Country Club in West Middlesex, Pa., beginning with a luncheon at 11 a.m. and a shotgun start at noon.
There will be a steak dinner at the DeBartolo Club in Stambaugh Stadium at 5:30 p.m. before the Red-White Spring Game at 7:30.
For more information contact the YSU Penguin Club at (330) 941-3720.
LOCAL
Debut ends quickly
CLEVELAND -- Because of a bloody nose, John McCree's amateur boxing debut was an inauspicious one.
McCree, from Poland and trained by John Hobart, looked good for most of the first round against Twill Golden of the Good Shepherd Boxing Club in Akron. But a straight right to his nose caused blood to flow and the referee stopped the contest with 10 seconds remaining in the round.
The novice heavyweight three-rounder was one of 12 bouts on a card at the Salvation Army Gym Saturday.
Tamer Win open
CORTLAND -- Tamer Win Golf Course is now open for the season and will remain open weather permitting.
Any questions or information should be directed to the golf course at (330) 637-2881.
NATION
Denver advances
AMHERST, Mass. -- Ryan Dingle scored the go-ahead goal at 16:17 of the third period and Gabe Gauthier added a hat trick to lead defending national champion Denver past New Hampshire 4-2 Sunday in the NCAA Northeast Regional final.
The Pioneers advanced to the their second consecutive Frozen Four, where they'll play Colorado College on April 7 in a national semifinal in Columbus.
Minnesota womenwin hockey title
DURHAM, N.H. -- Natalie Darwitz scored off a rebound with 1:08 left to give Minnesota its second straight NCAA women's hockey title, 4-3 over Harvard on Sunday.
Darwitz, who had three goals last year in the Golden Gophers' 6-2 championship game victory over Harvard, scored her 42nd goal of the season after goalie Ali Boe failed to control the rebound following Kelly Stephens' slap shot.
Top-ranked Minnesota finished the season 37-2-2.
Harvard dropped to 26-8-3 with its first loss in 22 games.
Marat Safin fadesin third round
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Marat Safin threw, kicked and cursed his racket, then later conceded the problem was operator error.
Bedeviled by his game just two months after winning the Australian Open, the volatile Russian lost 7-6 (6), 6-1 to Dominik Hrbaty in the third round of the Nasdaq-100 Open.
Safin, ranked fourth, became progressively more discouraged as his match progressed Sunday. He made no move to return Hrbaty's final shot, an ace down the middle.
"When I'm playing bad, I'm playing really bad," Safin said. "There's nothing I can do. Serve doesn't work. Backhand doesn't go the way it should be. And of course the forehand struggles. With this kind of game, it's difficult to beat anybody."
Safin committed 33 unforced errors and hit just 11 winners.
Late March usually brings out the best in three-time defending champion Serena Williams, but she needed 90 minutes to beat 17-year-old Israeli qualifier Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-3.
On another humid day, with temperatures reaching 87 degrees, the other top women moved quickly into the fourth round. Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, No. 2 Maria Sharapova, No. 8 Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne won in straight sets.
No. 13 Ivan Ljubicic edged Vince Spadea 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3). Former No. 1-ranked Juan Carlos Ferrero reached the fourth round by sweeping Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-3. Fernando Verdasco, who eliminated No. 3 Andy Roddick, lost to fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-2.
Vindicator staff/wire reports