YSU softball hires Zilles

YSU softball hires Zilles

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State hired Sara Zilles as an assistant softball coach. Zilles spent the 2015 season at Ursuline College and worked as the assistant director of softball at Pinnacle Sports for seven years. Zilles played professionally for the Akron Racers and played at the University of Akron.

She also served as an assistant coach at Copley High School.

Kessel’s two goals lift Penguins

Phil Kessel scored twice in his Pittsburgh debut and Kris Letang had a goal and three assists to lead the Penguins to a 7-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

Nine Penguins recorded at least one point in the win, including Sidney Crosby with a goal and two assists while centering a line with Kessel and Chris Kunitz. Olli Maatta had a goal and an assist and Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist and Kunitz all had two assists.

Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on 25 shots in 40 minutes and Matthew Murray stopped all six shots he faced.

Big Ten open to schedule flexibility

Big Ten schools can petition the conference to waive a requirement in the new football scheduling policy that teams must play one nonconference game a year against an opponent from one of the other five most powerful leagues.

Conference officials would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to allow a team to play an opponent from one of the Group of Five conferences and have the game count as if it were against a Power Five.

Starting next year, Big Ten schools will not schedule teams in the Football Championship Subdivision and must play at least one game a year against a team from the Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big 12 or Pacific-12 conferences. Games against independents Notre Dame and BYU also would count.

Romo-less Cowboys trade for Bills’ Cassel

IRVING, Texas

Matt Cassel is headed to Dallas in a trade as the Cowboys try to bolster their depth at quarterback while Tony Romo is sidelined at least seven games because of a broken left collarbone.

The Cowboys acquired Cassel from Buffalo on Tuesday, sending a fifth-round pick in 2017 to the Bills.

Brandon Weeden is expected to start Sunday at home against Arizona (2-0), but Cassel is a veteran with far more experience than the fourth-year pro.

Marlins interview ex-Indians manager

MIAMI

Former major league manager Manny Acta interviewed for the Miami Marlins job Tuesday, the strongest indication yet that current manager Dan Jennings won’t be back in that job next year.

It’s uncertain whether he’ll return to his former position of general manager. The next skipper will be owner Jeffrey Loria’s seventh since June 2010.

Acta hasn’t managed since he was fired by the Indians near the end of the 2012 season. He spent three seasons with them, and managed the Washington Nationals in 2007-09.

All of his teams finished below .500, and Acta’s career record is 372-518 (.418).

Syracuse axes kiss cam after letter to editor

Syracuse University is considering kissing its kiss cam goodbye after a fan suggested it sends the wrong message at a time when colleges are fighting against campus sexual violence.

A regular feature at sports venues, the kiss cam frames unsuspecting couples in a heart on the Jumbotron while the game crowd cheers for them to kiss.

Steve Port of Manlius said what he saw during the Sept. 12 football game between Syracuse University and Wake Forest constituted unacceptable behavior, and maybe even assault, as men forcibly kissed women who were clearly saying no.

The kiss cam feature was pulled from Saturday’s game against Central Michigan University.

Vindicator staff/wire reports