Greco to appear at ‘Steeltown Struggle’

Greco to appear at ‘Steeltown Struggle’

YOUNGSTOWN

Cleveland Browns guard John Greco will appear at Saturday’s “Steeltown Struggle,” a competition featuring strongman and ironfit events at the downtown Ironman Warehouse.

The strongman competition, which features events like tire flips and the farmer’s walk, will begin at 10 a.m. The ironfit competition, which features events like slider plank walks and burpee hurdles, begins at 1:30 p.m.

The competition includes weight classes and male and female divisions. Cleveland Browns guard John Greco, a Boardman High graduate, will attend.

For details, email Paul Dunleavy at jesusdiedsowelive@yahoo.com or call 330-360-3637.

Tennessee wins in super regional

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.

Meghan Gregg hit a walk-off RBI single in the seventh to lift the No. 8 Tennessee softball team to a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over No. 9 Florida State in Thursday’s Game 1 of the Knoxville Super Regional.

Erin Gabriel (Poland) started the game, throwing 2 1/3 third innings and allowing two runs. Cheyanne Tarango threw two shutout relief innings. Rainey Gaffin (16-3) earned the win after throwing 22/3 perfect frames in relief and striking out three.

Tennessee (46-14) scored one run in the fifth and one in the sixth before Gregg’s game-winning hit in the seventh. The Lady Vols have posted four walkoff wins in the month of May. Florida State (48-13) scored runs in the second and the third.

Lexi Overstreet was outstanding in the leadoff spot, going 2-for-2 with two walks and scoring the game-winning run from second base. Gretchen Aucoin had big hits in the fifth and the sixth and scored both times she reached base. Gregg and Shaliyah Geathers each drove in a run.

Ex-Pens coach Bylsma is free for any offer

BUFFALO, N.Y.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is free to take any job opening, including the Buffalo Sabres’ vacancy.

That was the response Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford provided The Associated Press on Thursday, when asked if he granted Buffalo permission to interview Bylsma. Though Bylsma was fired last June, he remains on Pittsburgh’s payroll because his contract runs through the end of next season.

San Jose, New Jersey and Detroit also have coaching openings.

ESPN.com reported Thursday the Sabres received the Penguins’ permission to speak to Bylsma.

NHL salary cap to be $71 million

CHICAGO

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expects the salary cap for the 2015-16 season to settle in around $71 million, depending on the fluctuations of the Canadian dollar.

The commissioner said Thursday he expects it to climb five percent from this year’s cap figure of $69 million.

Bettman also faced several questions about concussions three months after the death of former defenseman Steve Montador, 35, who was subsequently found to have suffered from chronic traumatic encephelopathy — or CTE — a degenerative brain disease.

Montador played briefly for the Blackhawks and a handful of other teams during a career that spanned 10 seasons. He suffered as many as a half-dozen concussions and finished his playing days in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League before leaving the sport in 2013.

More than 70 named former players are taking part in a lawsuit against the NHL, claiming the league failed to warn them of the true dangers of repetitive head trauma.

Staff/wire report