SPORTS digest

Charity golf outing coming to Youngstown

Thirty-six teams and 144 golfers are scheduled to participate in the 6th annual Clubs for Kids Golf Classic today at the Youngstown Country Club.

The outing benefits Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley. The event is projected to raise more than $60,000, bringing the six-year total to more than $300,000 for local children served by Akron Children’s programs and services.

The event will also feature a Youth Golf Clinic which will be held prior to the adult golf outing. Sixty children between ages 6-14 are scheduled to participate. The clinic will focus on grip, stance, posture and alignment, as well as chipping and putting instruction.

For more information contact Annie Sofran at 330-746-8707.

Mooney hires Palermo as boys hoops coach

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Cardinal Mooney hired Carey Palermo as its new head boys basketball coach, replacing Brian Danilov, who resigned this past June.

Palermo was the Ursuline junior varsity basketball coach for the past six years and compiled a 111-66 record in the process. Palermo also won district titles in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Scrappers rally in 9th for road win over Bears

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A two-run Todd Isaacs’ double was the difference as the Mahoning Valley Scrappers rallied to top the West Virginia Black Bears 4-3 on Thursday night.

Mahoning Valley took the early lead in the top of the fourth inning. Gavin Collins led off the inning with a triple. Collins scored on an error for a 1-0 lead.

The Black Bears took the lead in the sixth. With one out and one on, Luis Jimenez loaded the bases on a walk and a hit by pitch. Kevin Krause followed with a bases-loaded walk to drive in the go-ahead run. The Black Bears added a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Sandy Santos.

The Scrappers rallied with one out in the ninth. Gian Paul Gonzalez reached on an infield single before Alexix Pantoja singled.

With two on and one out, Isaccs came to the plate. Isaacs, before his final at bat, was 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. This time he ripped a double into the leftfield corner to score both runners and put the Scrappers up 4-3.

Alabama first, OSU fifth in preseason poll

Alabama is No. 1 in the preseason coaches’ poll, with Clemson at No. 2 and Oklahoma, Florida State and Ohio State rounding out the top five.

The Crimson Tide is the defending national champion after beating Clemson in the College Football Playoff title game.

The Associated Press preseason Top 25 will be released Aug. 21.

Oklahoma was No. 3 in the coaches’ poll . Florida State at No. 4, along with Clemson, gave the Atlantic Coast Conference two teams in the top four. Ohio State is fifth. LSU was sixth, followed by Stanford, Michigan, Notre Dame and Tennessee. The Southeastern Conference, with Alabama, LSU and Tennessee, has three top-10 teams.

Source: Thunder sign Westbrook to new deal

The Oklahoma City Thunder have reached a new deal with All-Star guard Russell Westbrook.

The two sides have agreed on a new three-year contract worth $85.7 million, according to a person with direct knowledge of the terms. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team had not announced the deal.

The 27-year-old Westbrook is one of the top stars in the NBA and piled up 18 triple-doubles last season. The five-time All-Star averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.4 assists last season as the Thunder reached the Western Conference finals, where they lost in seven games to Golden State.

Westbrook’s contract had been set to expire after next season.

The Thunder lost fellow All-Star Kevin Durant to the Warriors in the offseason, making Westbrook the team’s top priority.

Staff/wire reports