YSU

YSU
Penguins splitsoftball twinbill
CANFIELD -- The Youngstown State softball team (19-32) split their final regular-season doubleheader of the year, beating Akron 3-1 in game one before falling to the Zips 6-2 in the second contest on Thursday at McCune Park.
In the first game, Char Kudlock had two hits, including a home run, and Karlie Burnell had a strong outing after replacing an injured Kelly Murphy in the second inning. Burnell tossed six scoreless innings scattering four hits to earn her third win of the season.
In the second game, the Penguins built a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Lacey Hess and a sacrifice fly by Tiffany Patteson, but Akron struck for three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings for the come-from-behind victory.
Akron began the first game quickly scoring a run off Murphy in the top of the first. At the conclusion of the inning, Murphy left the contest after taking a comebacker off her pitching hand.
YSU tied the game in the bottom of third when Patteson led off the inning with a single and came home to score on Sarah Conklin's two-out single. The Penguins grabbed the lead for good in the next inning when Becky Hibner scored on a two-out Kudlock single.
In the sixth, Kudlock belted her third homer of the season when the ball hit off the top of the wall in left-center field and bounced over the fence.
Game two was scoreless through the first four-and-a-half innings before the Penguins broke through in the bottom of the fifth.
Hibner led off the inning with a single and scored on Hess' double off the left-field wall. After Kudlock sacrificed Hess to third, Patteson came through with a sacrifice fly to put YSU in front 2-0.
In the sixth, starter Ashley Lockmiller (6-8) ran into trouble. Carrese Moody led off the inning with a single and after a pop out, Rebecca Stern reached on a base hit of her own. Lockmiller struck out Kerry Omerza for the second out, but Kelly Quigley's slow grounder to short was beat out at second by Stern to keep the inning alive.
Lockmiller walked Jaclyn Spirtos to score a run and Lindsay Vittorio hit a chopper up the middle to plate two and give the Zips a 3-2 lead.
In the seventh, with one out and Rachel Kraus on second, Sara Zilles walked before both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Stern ripped a single to left that plated Kraus easily and then Zilles came home to score on an error as Stern moved up to second. Omerza followed with a base hit to score Stern as the Zips extended their lead to 6-2.
The Penguins are next in action at the Horizon League Championships hosted by UW-Green Bay.
AREA
Striders setfor opener
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Strider Track and Field team will open the season with the Strider Invitational at Youngstown State University on May 15 at 10 a.m.
The meet is for young athletes ages 5 to 18.
The 5-6 year old age group will have a & quot;Mini-Olympics & quot; featuring the 50 & amp; 100 meter dashes along with the softball throw.
Athletes ages 7-18 will compete in a complete meet.
Cost is $8 per athlete and entry forms may be secured at the website www.eteamz.com/leaau in the Track and Field section.
For more information, contact David Townsend at (330) 743-3635 or Thresea Harris at (330) 743-5875.
NATION
Niners re-sign LB Rasheed
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Linebacker Saleem Rasheed re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers, agreeing Thursday to a one-year tender offer.
Rasheed, a third-round draft pick in 2002, has played sparingly in his three seasons with the 49ers, both because of injuries and the club's depth at his position. He made 25 tackles and recovered one fumble last season as a backup.
The 49ers, who will open their second offseason minicamp today at their training complex, also re-signed fullback Steve Bush. The nine-year NFL veteran joined the club late last season and caught a touchdown pass in the regular-season finale at New England.
CANADA
NHL, playersconduct talks
TORONTO -- The NHL and the players' association met for just over three hours Thursday in the first round of labor negotiations in two weeks.
The sides will get together again in Toronto today, as previously planned, and already have two bargaining sessions scheduled for each of the next two weeks.
There were no details immediately released.
Staff/wire reports