SPORTS DIGEST || ITCL superintendents will meet on Tuesday

ITCL superintendents will meet on Tuesday

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

The Inter-Tri County League superintendents will meet on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at South Range High School to discuss disbanding the 16-team league for the 2017-18 school year.

The league, which was formed in 2001 by merging the TriCounty League and Inter County League, has six Mahoning County schools: South Range, Springfield, Western Reserve, Jackson-Milton, Sebring and Lowellville.

Two Trumbull County teams are in the league (McDonald and Mineral Ridge). The rest are from Columbiana County (Columbiana, Crestview, East Palestine, Leetonia, Lisbon, United, Southern and Wellsville).

Last fall, the league abandoned its two-tier setup (big schools and small schools) for a three-tier format based on geography and size.

Luklan to speak to curbstone coaches

College football official Rob Luklan will be the featured speaker Monday at the Curbstone Coaches luncheon.

The luncheon starts at noon at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

YSU baseball players earn preseason honors

Youngstown State baseball players Kyle Benyo and Keven Yarabinec have earned accolades from Baseball America, the publication announced last Thursday.

Benyo, a freshman outfielder, is projected to be the conference’s Freshman of the Year. Benyo transferred from Austintown Fitch to IMG Academy in Bradenton Fla. for his senior season, where he hit .361 with three home runs and 15 RBIs at IMG.

Yarabenec, a sophomore right-hander, was slotted as the conference’s sixth-best prospect for the 2016 draft. He made the conference’s All-Freshman team in an injury-shortened 2014 season where he recorded five saves, a 2-2 record and a 2.22 ERA in 20 appearances.

Zallow breaks record at NCAA invitational

GENEVA

Warren JFK grad Chad Zallow broke a Youngstown State record, which is also his personal best, in the 60-meter hurdles Saturday at the SPIRE NCAA DI Invitational at the SPIRE Institute. The freshman’s time of 7.75 seconds bested his 7.79-second mark, good for first place and the No. 10 time in the nation. That time will likely qualify him for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Penguins’ next meet is on Saturday at the Zips Invitational in Akron.

Dowd’s walkoff homer lifts YSU vs. Toledo

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Youngstown State’s softball team opened its season with a 4-3 win against Toledo on Saturday.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Lexi Zappitelli singled to right field before Dowd ended the game.

Junior Caitlyn Minney picked up the win, giving up three runs on three hits while striking out five.

YSU grabbed the 2-0 lead after Dowd and Brittany Moffatt scored on a ground out and subsequent errant throw in the first inning before Toldeo responded with five runs in the fifth.

Today, YSU plays against Charlotte and UMass.

Heisman winner, ex-Steeler, dies at 83

SOUTH BEND, IND.

John Lattner, the 1953 Heisman Trophy winner who helped lead Notre Dame to a 9-0-1 record and a No. 2 ranking in Frank Leahy’s final year as coach, has died at 83.

His death was confirmed Saturday by Notre Dame.

Lattner, a two-time All-American, was a halfback, defensive back, punter and kick returner who edged Minnesota’s Paul Giel for the Heisman.

Lattner was drafted seventh overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played one season. He made the Pro Bowl in his rookie year, but a knee injury ended his NFL career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Staff/wire report