SPORTS DIGEST | Scrappers to host youth camp in August

Scrappers to host youth camp in August

NILES

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are teaming with Vlad Pediatrics to host a three-day youth baseball camp from Aug. 10-12.

The Scrappers Youth Camp is for kids ages 8-13, as all exercises and instruction will be taught by the Scrappers’ players and coaching staff, and will focus on baseball fundamentals, sportsmanship and healthy competition.

Camp registration includes instruction each day from 9 a.m.-noon, a ticket to the Aug. 12 game vs. the Williamsport Crosscutters, on field recognition prior to the Aug. 12 game, a camp t-shirt and lunch on the final day of camp. The camp has been limited to 100 campers and early registration is highly encouraged. Cost is $100 per child and forms can be found on mvscrappers.com or at the Eastwood Field Box Office.

Baseball old-timers set golf scramble

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Baseball Oldtimers will hold a four-man shotgun scramble on June 15 at Mill Creek Golf Course. Play begins at 10 a.m.

Contact Nick Granitto for reservations at 330-782-6520.

Kent State’s Italiano given medal from MAC

CLEVELAND

Kent State senior and Canfield grad Jordan Italiano was among 24 athletes from the Mid-American Conference to earn the Medal of Excellence Award. He was presented it at Wednesday night’s Honors Dinner at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel.

The award is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each of the 12 MAC institutions. To be honored with the Medal of Excellence Award, student-athletes had to participate on the varsity level in a conference sponsored sport and shown evidence of academic success with a minimum 3.50 accumulative grade-point average, exhibited athletics excellence, leadership and service.

Italiano, a safety on the football team, finished his career with 257 tackles, five interceptions and five forced fumbles. He is the only three-time Academic All-American in program history. Italiano was named Smartest Player in College Football by NFL.com. This past season, he became the program’s first Campbell Trophy finalist.

Williams wins in French Open

paris

As she so often does, Williams came through when she needed to, moving closer to a record-equaling 22nd Grand Slam title by figuring out a way to beat Yulia Putintseva 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday in the French Open quarterfinals.

“I kept missing. Just misfiring. Honestly, at one point I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Williams, who will face another unseeded opponent, 58th-ranked Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, today in the semifinals. “I guess I was not the most positive mentally, but obviously I didn’t want to stop.”

There is no rest for the weary at this wet-as-can-be French Open. If Williams gets to Saturday’s final, it will be her fourth consecutive day of play. The top-seeded man, Novak Djokovic, already will reach that total — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, today — when he meets No. 13 Dominic Thiem in their semifinal.

Vogelsong undergoes facial surgery

MIAMI

Pirates right-hander Ryan Vogelsong had surgery Thursday to repair the facial fractures he suffered May 23 when hit on the left cheek by a 92-mph fastball from the Colorado Rockies’ Jordan Lyles.

In a release, the Pirates said Vogelsong is “resting comfortably” at home. The surgery was performed by Dr. Randall Beatty at Allegheny General Hospital. Vogelsong, 38, will be re-examined by team doctors next week, once swelling subsides, and be given a rehab timeline.

Staff/wire report