SPORTS DIGEST | Two local pitchers to play in All-Star series

Two local pitchers to play in All-Star series

Two area pitchers, Ursuline’s Vinny Lucente and Crestview’s Michael McDonough, have been tabbed to play in the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Mizuno All-Star Series at Ohio State on Friday and Saturday.

Lucente is playing for the Navy Blue team, which plays on Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 10:05 a.m.

McDonough plays for the Red team, which plays on Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 1:55 p.m.

NEOBCA announces 2016 all-star team

Eight tri-county schools will be represented at the Northeast Ohio Baseball Coaches Association’s all-star game June 24 at Canal Park in Akron. First pitch is at 10:30 a.m.

Locals on the Northeast team are: Boardman’s Lou Cardona and Hudson Woodrig; Campbell’s Mike Jones; Canfield’s Joe DeLuca and Joe Machuga; Crestview’s Andrew Gorby and Joel Fitzsimmons; East Palestine’s Ian Elliot and Sam Yaroz; South Range’s Greg Dunham and Travis Baxter; Ursuline’s Vinny Lucente and Drew Potesta; and Western Reserve’s Walker Marlowe and Drew Slaven. Coaches are Boardman’s Joe Gabriel and Crestview’s Dan Hill. Managers are Canfield’s Matt Koenig and Ursuline’s Matt Weymer.

Oklahoma tops Auburn for third softball title

OKLAHOMA CITY

Paige Parker pitched a complete game to help Oklahoma defeat Auburn 2-1 on Wednesday night for its third national softball title.

Parker put the Tigers down in order in the seventh to improve to 5-0 at the Women’s College World Series.

Auburn’s Emily Carosone, the star of Tuesday’s comeback win with a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth, couldn’t follow it up.

In the bottom of the first, she committed an error on a grounder by Shay Knighten, and Caleigh Clifton scored for the Sooners (57-8) when Carosone lost control of a throw to first. Knighten then scored on a slow-bouncing infield single by Fale Aviu to make it 2-0.

Auburn (58-12) loaded the bases with no outs in the third, but Parker struck out Carosone, then the Sooners turned a double play to get out of the inning unscathed.

Jade Rhodes’ solo shot in the top of the fourth made it 2-1, but Parker regained control.

Oklahoma won its first two titles in 2000 and 2013. The Southeastern Conference had won three of the previous four, with Oklahoma interrupting.

Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso was questioned about the decision to rest Parker during Game 2, when Auburn rallied from an early 7-0 deficit to beat the Sooners 11-7 in eight innings. Parker was the winner in Game 1, a 3-2 decision, and Gasso felt it would have been unfair to Parker to start her on Tuesday.

Vince Carter named Teammate of the Year

MEMPHIS, Tenn.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter has won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award, the NBA announced Wednesday. The award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership on and off the court as a mentor or role model, plus commitment and dedication to the team.

More than 300 players voted through confidential balloting conducted by the league office. Twelve nominees were chosen by a panel of NBA greats and executives from the NBA and National Basketball Players Association.

Adidas misspells Colombia in jersey ad

PORTLAND, Ore.

Adidas is apologizing after misspelling Colombia in advertisements featuring the team in new jerseys for the Copa America tournament. The ads, which showed Colombian players in the home white jerseys, were pulled by Adidas after social media widely ridiculed he company for spelling the country “Columbia.”

Adidas has provided the uniforms for the Colombian national team since 2011.

Colombia, ranked No. 3 in the world, defeated Paraguay 2-1 on Tuesday night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Staff/wire reports