SPORTS digest

Cleveland State beats YSU volleyball

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State volleyball team struggled to slow down Cleveland State’s offense in a three-set loss to the Vikings on Friday evening at the Woodling Gymnasium. The set scores were 25-20, 25-16, 25-23.

Lauren Thompson led Youngstown State (7-11, 1-2 Horizon) with eight kills and Sarah Varcolla and Aly Ryan both had seven. Setter Val Jeffery had five kills in seven attempts and Nikki Thompson had 16 digs, which was twice more than any other Penguin. Grace Kauth had 16 kills to lead Cleveland State (14-3).

Youngstown State will begin a four-match road streak when it plays at Northern Kentucky on Friday at 7 p.m.

Sharon Speedway postpones event

HARTFORD

Sharon Speedway postponed today’s scheduled make-up of the second night of the “Apple Festival Nationals” to April 16 .

The cancellation concluded the 86th anniversary season. The 2015 awards banquet will be held on Feb. 27 at Yankee Lake Ballroom.

Ward, Hurricanes stop Penguins

Raleigh, N.C.

Cam Ward made 34 saves to help the Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1.

Jordan Staal and Chris Terry scored for Carolina.

Pascal Dupuis scored for Pittsburgh, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves.

Penguins assistant coach Gary Agnew wants to have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in his six- or seven-man penalty-killing rotation.

“We’d like to get them involved,” Agnew said. “You don’t want to get them into a situation ... where we’d get three penalties in a period, and your top-end guys are just sitting there, waiting.”

Bjorkstrand’s two goals lead Blue Jackets

Buffalo

Oliver Bjorkstrand had two goals and an assist in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 6-4 victory over the Sabres.

William Karlsson added a goal and two assists, and Lukas Sedlak, Dean Kukan and Markus Hannikainen also scored, and Curtis McElhinney made 24 saves.

The Blue Jackets led 5-0 after the second period.

Jamie McGinn scored twice for Buffalo, Zemgus Girgensons and Evander Kane added goals, and Robin Lehner made 20 saves.

3 games postponed by East Coast storms

NEW YORK

Three Major League Baseball games were postponed Friday as the East Coast faced steady rain with Hurricane Joaquin swirling in the Atlantic.

In New York, the Mets’ chase for home-field advantage in their opening playoff series was put on hold when their game against the Washington Nationals was called off. They are scheduled to play a split doubleheader today.

The New York Yankees’ game in Baltimore and the Marlins-Phillies game in Philadelphia also were rained out and rescheduled as part of doubleheaders today.

However, that schedule may be in jeopardy as rain and wind are forecast throughout the weekend. The weather had already postponed racing on tracks and grass Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Joaquin’s threat to the East Coast was fading as new forecasts showed it likely to curve out into the Atlantic while moving north and weakening in coming days.

So the NFL said it expected the Washington Redskins’ home game against the Philadelphia Eagles to be played as scheduled Sunday at 1 p.m..

The nearby University of Maryland did adjust, moving up the start time of its football game against No. 22 Michigan today from 8 p.m. to noon.

In Dover, Delaware, rain wiped out qualifying for the NASCAR playoff race Sunday at Dover International Speedway. Rain also washed out qualifying for the NHRA event in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.

Staff/wire report