STEELHOUNDS

STEELHOUNDS

Satisfaction
guaranteed

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown SteelHounds introduced two programs designed to assist fans in their season-ticket purchase experience.

First, fans purchasing season tickets will have the option of making monthly payments to cover their balance. Payments will extend through December 2007. Fans can purchase SteelHounds season tickets for as little as $42 a month. Also, the “SteelHounds Satisfaction Guarantee” is for full season-ticket holders, who if not completely satisfied with their season tickets, can exchange their tickets for a full refund on all remaining games. Ticket information is available by calling (330) 747-7825.

SCRAPPERS

Todd Martin named
player of week

NILES — Mahoning Valley Scrappers outfielder Todd Martin was named player of the week in the New York-Penn League.

Martin batted .419 (13-for-31) with two home runs and eight RBIs from June 25-July 1, and had a .677 slugging percentage and scored seven runs.

Denny McLain
at Saturday’s game

NILES — Denny McLain, the last major-league pitcher to win 30 games in a season, will be at Eastwood Field Saturday for the Scrappers’ game against the Lowell Spinners.

McLain finished with a 31-6 record in 1968, winning the Cy Young Award. He was a three-time All-Star and finished with a career record of 131-91.

He will promote his book “I Told You I Wasn’t Perfect.”

AREA

Track club athletes
earn medals

MILLERSBURG — Alex Rathburn, 18, of Mineral Ridge won two gold medals at the 2007 USATF Lake Erie Association Junior Olympic Track Meet Saturday.

Rathburn's throws qualified her for the Region 5 Championships in Cedarville July 12.

She hit a personal best of 43 feet, 1 inch in the shot put and 132-7 in the discus. The Western Reserve High graduate automatically qualifed for the Young Women's hammer throw, in which she placed fourth in the nation last year at the Jr. Olympic National Championships.

Bella Rathburn, 6, of Mineral Ridge finished third in the Bantam Division's 400-meter dash with a time of 1 minute, 44 seconds.

Leuenberger named
Academic All-America

GROVE CITY, Pa. — Grove City College graduate Andrew Leuenberger (West Middlesex) was named first team Academic All-America for men’s cross country⁄track and field (college division) by ESPN The Magazine and the College Sports Information Directors of America.

It was Leuenberger's second Academic All-America citation. He was named to the third team in 2006.

Bossone leaders

YOUNGSTOWN — The John Bossone Memorial bowling tournament reached its halfway point, with Jennifer Wogtowicz and Jesse Hodge leading with a score of 1495.

Inez Aikens and Jonathon Baglama are in second place with 1493, followed by Kim Bossone-Carl Cramer (1483) and Peggy Rouzzo-Emmanquel Droullis (1477).

On June 30, J.D. Bossone and Shawn Streeter scored 300 games. It was Bossone’s third 300 of the tournament.

REGION

Columbus signs
defenseman

COLUMBUS — The Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with defenseman Sheldon Brookbank. Brookbank, 26, was selected as the American Hockey League’s top defenseman last season.

NATION

Big Ten network
to launch Aug. 30

CHICAGO — The Big Ten Network will launch Aug. 30 with a highlight show and follow two days later with its first football games.

The network will go on the air at 8 p.m. On Sept. 1 there will be regional coverage of several football games: Appalachian State-Michigan, Youngstown State-Ohio State, Florida International-Penn State and Northeastern-Northwestern.

The conference Monday also announced distribution commitments for more than 75 local cable systems serving viewers in Ohio and the seven other states where there are Big Ten schools.

Vindicator staff⁄wire reports