YSU

YSU
Baseball postponed
INDIANAPOLIS -- Youngstown State's Horizon League opener Friday against Butler was postponed by rain.
The Penguins and Bulldogs will play a doubleheader today at noon and a single game Sunday at noon.
Softball loses two
OXFORD -- Youngstown State received solid pitching performances from Karlie Burnell and Danielle Chase but dropped two close games to Purdue, 1-0, and Toledo, 2-1, at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational Friday.
Against Purdue, Burnell fired a complete-game, five-hitter while striking out four and allowing an unearned run in the top of the sixth inning.
Jamie Fornal had three of YSU's five hits, including a double. Against the Rockets, Chase gave up just five hits but surrendered a two-out, two run homer in the first inning.
Junior McKenzie Bedra hit her first home run of the season in the fourth.
Megan Bricker went 2-for-3 against the Rockets and Becky Hibner extended her hitting streak to six games with a double in the fifth inning.
The Penguins (3-3) play Michigan State and Miami today.
LOCAL
Miller selectedas boxing judge
MINERAL RIDGE -- Tom Miller was selected to judge the WBC/WBA super middleweight championship fight in Copenhagen, Denmark tonight between Mikkel Kessler (38-0), the champion from Denmark, against the challenger, Librado Andrade (24-0) from Mexico.
Leetonia's Altomare retires; son takes job
LEETONIA -- When Matt Altomare was growing up in Leetonia, there was only one thing he wanted to be when he was older.
"A lot of kids, when they're young, dream about being an astronaut or a firefighter," Altomare said. "Me being in a football environment, all I wanted to be was a football coach."
Since 1999, he's had that chance, serving as the defensive coordinator under his father, Artie, at Leetonia High School.
Starting this fall, he'll be in charge as Artie Altomare stepped down after 28 years as a head coach for the Bears.
Artie Altomare, who still plans to be an assistant, had a 151-132-2 record with six Tri-County League titles with the Bears. He has more wins than any coach in Columbiana County. He was head coach from 1976-95, then spent two years as Salem's offensive coordinator before returning to Leetonia as head coach in 1999.
Bubba ClassicMarch 30 at WGH
WARREN -- The sixth Frank Bubba Memorial Classic is scheduled March 30 at Warren Harding High School.
The evening pits Trumbull County basketball seniors against Mahoning County players.
At 6 p.m. the girls will play and the boys game follows. There are 3-point contests at intermission and a dunk competition will take place during halftime of the boys game.
The benefit serves as a scholarship for a student at Harding High.
Canfield's Carbonnamed to Classic
COLUMBUS -- Canfield High senior Joe Carbon was selected to play in the North-South Ohio All-Star game April 22 at Capital University.
Carbon was named All-Ohio special mention, first team All-NEO Inland district and player of the year in the Metro Athletic Conference.
He finished with a 17.3 scoring average, shooting 55.6 percent from the field, and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Thunder teams upwith food bank
BOARDMAN -- The Mahoning Valley Thunder, along with Second Harvest Food Bank, will hold a public practice March 29 from 6-8 p.m. on Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre.
Admission to the event requires at least one non-perishable canned food item per person or a 1 donation to Second Harvest Food Bank.
Donations should be dropped off at the Sweeney Chevrolet Entrance (Main Box Office Entrance) facing Front Street.
Phantoms hostingRelay for Life Night
BOARDMAN -- The Mahoning Valley Phantoms are hosting their third Relay For Life night tonight at the Ice Zone.
The Phantoms will wear special purple Relay For Life jerseys, which will be auctioned off after the game. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the American Cancer Society's area Relay For Life programs. Game tickets are 8. For ticket or jersey bid information, call the Phantoms at (330) 261-3840.
NATION
Golf roundup
MIAMI -- Tiger Woods followed a key par with three straight birdies on his way a 6-under 66 for a two-shot lead over Rod Pampling, putting the world's No. 1 player back on track for a third consecutive victory at the CA Championship.
*SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Ariz. -- Lorena Ochoa made two eagles to take a one-stroke lead in the suspended second round of the Safeway International.
Vindicator staff/wire reports