YSU creates George E. Gasser scholarship

November 13, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

The Youngstown State University department of intercollegiate athletics has created the George E. Gasser memorial scholarship.

He was a proud supporter of YSU athletics and the Penguin Club, offering his time and assistance whenever possible. This scholarship is to be awarded annually to an eligible student athlete who needs financial assistance. The student-athlete must be enrolled full time in the Williamson College of Business Administration.

Junior volleyball player Aly Ryan, a major in Business Marketing from Novi, Mich., is the first recipient of the scholarship.

Liberty football tickets

Liberty

Tickets are available for Liberty versus Ursuline Saturday night’s contest at Warren Harding. Tickets are $8 at Liberty high school Thursday and Friday. All tickets $9 at the gate.

Tigers re-sign Victor Martinez to 4-year deal

The biggest domino of the Detroit Tigers’ off-season has reportedly fallen.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman is reporting the Tigers have re-signed designated hitter Victor Martinez to a four-year deal worth $68 million deal, pending a physical.

Martinez, 35, posted a career year this past season by hitting .335 with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs. He was named the American League’s Silver Slugger at designated hitter and finished in the top three of MVP voting.

Spread evenly over four years, the contract amounts to $17 million per season and puts the Tigers on the hook for $85 million in countable salary in 2018.

Boardman’s Mancini wins first college match

GREENVILLE, Pa.

Freshman Nick Mancini from Boardman scored an 8-1 decision at 125 pounds in his first collegiate match but No. 11 ranked Mount Union was upset by Thiel (Pa.) 26-5 in a dual meet. The Purple Raiders (0-1) won the first match of the night. However, Thiel (1-0) won eight of the next nine matches. A team point penalty against the Raiders gave the Tomcats the 26-5 win.

UMass holds off Ball State late

AMHERST, Mass.

Blake Frohnapfel passed for 424 yards, 239 to Tajae Sharpe and Massachusetts picked off two passes in the fourth quarter to hold off Ball State 24-10.

Sharpe matched the school record of 13 receptions for the third time this season for a career-high in yardage as the Minutemen (3-7, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) held on in their first-ever mid-week home game.

The Cardinals (3-7, 2-4) were only down a touchdown when Trey Seals picked off Jack Milas. That led to a 7-yard scoring run by Elgin Long out of a wildcat formation for a 24-10 lead with 5:40 to play. Frohnapfel, who completed 28 of 44 passes, left the game earlier in the fourth quarter with a leg injury. Randall Jette’s interception sealed the win.

Sharpe went over 1,000 yards for the season (1,204) on 75 catches, third in school history, and 2,000 (2,015) for his career.

Bowling Green takes down Kent State

BOWLING GREEN

Andre Givens ran for a career-high 129 yards and two touchdowns and Bowling Green held off Kent State 30-20 to clinch the Mid-American Conference East Division title.

Givens’ second touchdown from 2 yards out with 7:37 to play, capped a critical five-play, 78-yard drive for the Falcons (7-3, 5-1) after the Golden Flashes (1-9, 0-6) pulled within 23-20 Colin Reardon’s third touchdown pass.

Bowling Green led 17-0 at the end of one quarter after Givens scored from 6 yards and James Knapke and Roger Lewis connected for an 82-yard touchdown, the duo’s fourth touchdown of more than 50 yards this season.

Lewis finished with 116 yards on three receptions and Ryan Burbrink had 111 on eight as Knapke completed 22 of 36 for 315 yards.

Reardon was picked off four times but found Casey Pierce for career-highs of 12 receptions and 127 yards and Chris Humphrey for a career-high 132 yards.

Staff/wire reports