SPORTS DIGEST || Youngstown team finishes runner-up

Youngstown team finishes runner-up

SAN FRANCISCO

The Youngstown Youth Flag Football League’s 9-10 coed team finished national runner-up at the NFL Flag Football Champions.

In Monday’s championship game, Youngstown lost to a team from Miami.

Youngstown players are Nicolas Bengala, Elliott Giles, Nasir O’Kane, Gabriella Lamparty, Shane Lindstrom, Preston Mays, Ashton O’Brien, Terrance Pankey, Ty Stricko and Tanner Stricko.

Saturday at 6 p.m., Nickelodeon and Nicktoons will televise a one-hour special highlighting the tournament.

YYFFL also sent a 13-14 girls team. Players are Olivia Alfano, Rebecca Catlos, Destiny Goodnight, Isabella Lamparty, Katarina Partika, Vaneesha Pasley, Myracle Saunders and Sabrina Bartholomew. Eliott Giles coaches both teams.

Pirates acquire former first-round pick Biddle

PITTSBURGH

The Pirates have acquired pitching prospect Jesse Biddle from the Philadelphia Phillies.

The deal sends Biddle to the Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitcher Yoervis Medina.

The 24-year-old Biddle was a first-round pick by the Phillies in the 2010 first-year player draft. Biddle went 9-6 with a 4.95 ERA in 24 combined minor league starts. He underwent reconstructive elbow surgery last October and was designated for assignment by Philadelphia on Jan. 29.

Biddle is 40-45 with a 3.81 ERA and 660 strikeouts in 6771/3 career innings.

To make room for Biddle on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated right-handed pitcher A.J. Schugel for assignment.

Familia and Mets agree to $4.1 million contract

NEW YORK

The Mets settled their last salary arbitration case, agreeing to a $4.1 million, one-year contract with closer Jeurys Familia.

The deal Wednesday was $50,000 above the midpoint between the $4.8 million Familia wanted and the $3.3 million the Mets offered when the sides exchanged proposed arbitration salaries last month.

Under the contract negotiated by agents Sam and Seth Levinson, Familia has the highest salary for a reliever with one full season as a closer, topping Baltimore’s Zach Britton, who had a $3.2 million base salary last year and earned $325,000 in performance and award bonuses.

Ko trails Jang by four shots in LPGA event

OCALA, Fla.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko shot a 3-under 69 on Wednesday in the Coates Golf Championship in her first round of the season, leaving her four strokes behind leader Ha Na Jang.

The 18-year-old Ko closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th, her fourth birdie on the back nine on the Golden Ocala course that features some tributes to holes at Augusta National, St. Andrews and others.

Ko tied for second last year in Ocala to reach No. 1 in the world ranking, and went on to win five times and take the Race to the CME Globe and LPGA Tour’s points-based player of the year award.

Bishop earns 100th win in Tampa Bay victory

TAMPA, Fla.

Ben Bishop made 24 saves to get 100th win with Tampa Bay, Nikita Kucherov scored his 21st goal, and the Lightning beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Wednesday night.

J.T. Brown and Tyler Johnson also scored for the Lightning, who have won nine of 10.

Gustav Nyquist had Detroit’s lone goal.

Sabres rally past slumping Canadiens

MONTREAL

Jamie McGinn, Johan Larsson and Brian Gionta all scored in Buffalo’s big third period and the Sabres rallied for a comeback victory over the slumping Montreal Canadiens.

Marcus Foligno also scored for Buffalo, which played its first game since the All-Star break and led 2-1 heading into the final period. The Sabres, last in the Atlantic Division, are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games.

Staff and wire reports