Saturday, March 22, 2008
ysu
Baseball team falls
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Freshman Grant Fillipitch singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning and Butler defeated Youngstown State 5-4 Friday in the Horizon League baseball openers for both teams.
Youngstown State (3-10, 0-1) led 4-2 in the seventh inning, but the Bulldogs (2-10, 1-0) scored single runs in the seventh and eighth to tie the game, then posted their second straight win in the ninth.
The Penguins out hit Butler 10-5, while junior John Koehnlein, returning to the YSU lineup since the first week of the season, went two-for-four.
Sean Lucas and C.J. Morris also had two hits each for the Penguins.
Lucas Engle started and went 51‚Ñ3 innings allowing just two hits and one earned run, but Eric Marzec suffered the loss as he was responsible for the final two Butler runs.
The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader today beginning at noon.
area
Prep schedules needed
YOUNGSTOWN—The Vindicator Sports Department needs varsity baseball, softball, track and field and tennis coaches to complete questionnaires they were sent last week and fax them to: The Vindicator (330) 747-6712 as soon as possible.
Midgets win district
INDIANAPOLIS — The Phantoms Midget Major AAA hockey team won the district championship and are have earned a spot in the national meet.
The Phantom Fireworks Midgets will play in the Tier I, Under-18 national tournament in Buffalo, beginning April 2.
The Phantoms defeated the Indiana Jr. Ice 5-2 then defeated the Pittsburgh Hornets 3-2 for the district title.
Youth skiing competition
CANFIELD — Mary Kate Motolenich from Canfield competed in the New York State JIV (11-12 year olds) skiing championship that was held at Holiday Valley Ski Resort.
Bowling HOF
YOUNGSTOWN — The 2008 Greater Youngstown Bowling Association’s Hall of Fame class will be elected on April 19.
The Hall of Fame selections will be honored at the annual awards dinner on June 1.
nation
Chivas USA signs midfielder Mendoza
CARSON, Calif. — Francisco Mendoza, Chivas USA’s career leader in games and minutes played, has signed a contract with the Major League Soccer team for the 2008 season. Terms were not announced.
The 22-year-old midfielder has five goals and 12 assists in his three MLS seasons, all with Chivas USA. Mendoza and goalkeeper Brad Guzan are the only players from the original Chivas USA team who remain on the roster.
Chivas USA also announced Thursday the signing of defender Eric Ebert, whose rights were acquired in a trade with the Houston Dynamo in exchange for the team’s natural first-round pick in next year’s supplemental draft. Ebert, 23, had 12 goals and five assists in 80 career games for the University of California.
Top-ranked Iowa leads
ST. LOUIS — Top-ranked Iowa advanced seven of nine qualifiers and held a one-point lead after the first round of the NCAA wrestling championship.
Iowa, 21-1 in dual meets this season, had 18 points. The Hawkeyes are seeking their 21st title but first since 2000. Central Michigan was second with 17 points and Iowa State third with 16, followed by defending champion Minnesota and Nebraska (15.5 points) tied for fourth.
world
Figure skating worlds
GOTEBORG, Sweden — Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France won the original dance at the World Figure Skating Championships, widening their lead to a comfortable four points. Delobel and Schoenfelder have 107.98 points going into Friday’s free dance. Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski of Russia are now second, passing Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada in the original dance. But the margin between the couples is slim, with the Russians just .45 points ahead: 103.97 to 103.52.
Olympic silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto entered the worlds favored to become the first U.S. couple to win a world dance title.
Tour de France update
PARIS — Astana, the team of defending champion Alberto Contador, was among those not invited to compete in the Tour de France.
The Amaury Sport Organization announced the 20 teams invited to the premier race. Last month, ASO excluded Astana from its races this year because of doping violations in the last two years. As a result, the Tour de France in July will start without Contador.
“This selection is subject to the respect by each of the teams for ethics and honesty that must prevail in cycling,” ASO said in a statement.
Alexandre Vinokourov of Astana was caught blood doping at the Tour de France last year and Andrey Kashechkin tested positive several weeks later in an out-of-competition test.
Vindicator staff/wire reports