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Volleyball meeting

SALEM — The Ohio High School Athletic Association state volleyball rule interpretation meeting will be held at Salem High School Thursday at 7:15 p.m.

At 5:45 p.m. Thursday the Mahoning Valley Volleyball Officials Association will conduct a local rule meeting at the Salem High gym.

Metros eliminated

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — The Youngstown Metros suffered two losses and were eliminated in the All-American Amateur Baseball Association Tournament.

Johnstown used three three-run innings to pin an 11-3 setback on the Metros.

Eric Pritz and Jim Pasquine each had two hits for the Metros.

In its second outing, the Metros allowed a run in the last of the ninth and fell to Schenectady, 8-7.

Joe Iacobucci had two hits for the Metros who scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to forge a 7-7 stalemate.

nation

Steelers change game time with Panthers

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving the time of their last preseason game to accommodate television coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

The teams says the Aug. 28 game against the Carolina Panthers will start at 7 p.m. EDT instead of 7:30 p.m.

The Democratic convention begins Aug. 25 in Denver. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is scheduled to formally accept the party’s nomination on Aug. 28.

The Steelers game is scheduled to air locally on KDKA, Pittsburgh’s CBS affiliate, and FSN Pittsburgh, the local Fox sports cable channel.

Oden works out

TUALATIN, Ore. — Greg Oden can still dunk.

That much was clear Tuesday when the top pick in last year’s NBA draft worked out in front of the media for the first time since right knee surgery wiped out his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The 7-footer from Ohio State showed no signs of problems in two-on-two work with teammates Steve Blake and Channing Frye and former Arkansas star Steven Hill, a 7-footer invited to practice with Portland.

Oden isn’t allowed to go five-on-five until next month.

“I’m feeling good,” Oden said. “I do not have any pain or soreness in my knee.”

Fighting Irish getting head start in Ireland

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Irish are going to Ireland for a head start to their season.

Basketball season, that is.

Notre Dame left Tuesday for a 13-day trip that will include six games before the football team plays its first.

The Irish started practicing Aug. 4, four days before the football team and two months ahead of the traditional October start of basketball practice.

“We’re so far ahead right now,” said Luke Harangody, a second-team All-America last season who led the Irish with 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds a game.

Naturally, Notre Dame was the first NCAA choice for the inaugural Emerald Hoops Program developed by the Basketball Federation of Ireland, which is trying to build the sport there.

Hockey hall of fame

EVELETH, Minn. — Brett Hull and longtime New York Rangers Brian Leetch and Mike Richter are members of the 2008 class of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

The four-member group announced Tuesday also includes Cammi Granato, the all-time scoring leader for the U.S. women’s hockey team with 343 points in 205 games.

Hull, one of the leading goal scorers in NHL history with 741, recorded 1,391 points in a 20-year career that included Stanley Cup titles in Dallas and Detroit.

Leetch was an 11-time All-Star in 18 NHL seasons, all but one with the Rangers. He won two Norris Trophies as the league’s best defenseman.

Hornets in Europe

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Hornets will play seven preseason games prior to their season opener at Golden State in late October, including two games in Europe as part of NBA Europe Live.

The Hornets take on the Washington Wizards on October 14 at the O2 World in Berlin, Germany. The game will be one of the first major sporting events held at the arena, which opened last fall.

The team will close out NBA Europe Live on October 17 at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain.

Vindicator staff/wire reports