SPORTS digest

Stateline Classic scheduled for June 30

NEW MIDDLETOWN

The Quad-County Football Association is hosting the 37th annual Ohio-Pennsylvania Stateline Classic Football Game on June 30 at Springfield High School.

The Ohio team will be coached by Salem coach Ron Johnson. The Quad-County coaches are giving $250 scholarships to Southern’s Jesse McCurg and Alex Smith in memory of former player Marcus Walter. Walter died last summer in a car accident while driving to his final practice before the Stateline Classic.

Tickets cost $7 and $8 at the gate. They may be purchased at practices, which run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at East Palestine High School from June 21-29 or at select locations in Columbiana, Salem and East Palestine. For more information, contact Larry Baughman at 330-482-3422 or at coachclipsb1@aol.com.

Midseason races at Mercer rescheduled

MERCER, PA.

Mercer Raceway Park canceled Saturday’s racing event due to stormy weather. The Midseason Championships presented by Herr’s Snacks will now be on July 16, along with the American Cancer Society “Racing for a Cure” Night.

Monsters capture first Calder Cup

CLEVELAND

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored with 1.9 seconds left in the first overtime and the Lake Erie Monsters won their first Calder Cup title, beating the Hershey Bears 1-0 on Saturday night to sweep the American Hockey League championship series.

Anton Forsberg made 23 saves for Lake Erie, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ top farm club.

Lake Erie was 15-2 in the playoffs, the best record for a team in a four rounds. The Monsters gave Cleveland its first AHL title since the Barons won the last of their nine championships in 1964.

Bjorkstrand received the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the MVP in the playoffs. He had 10 goals and six assists in 17 games, tied an AHL record with six winning goals and set a record with three overtime goals. Forsberg was 9-0 with a 1.34 goals-against average.

Justin Peters stopped 32 shots for Hershey, the Washington Capitals’ top affiliate.

Pirates’ Cervelli on DL with a broken hand

PITTSBURGH

The Pittsburgh Pirates have put catcher Francisco Cervelli on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left hand that is expected to sideline him four to six weeks.

The Pirates also acquired backup catcher Erik Kratz from the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday for cash.

Cervelli left Friday night’s game against St. Louis after breaking his hamate bone on a swing. He had surgery Saturday.

Cervelli is hitting .257 with 21 RBIs. Chris Stewart took over after Cervelli was hurt in the fourth inning.

Kratz is expected to join the Pirates for Saturday night’s home game against the Cardinals.

The 35-year-old Kratz made his big league debut with the Pirates in 2010. He also has played for Philadelphia, Toronto, Kansas City and Houston.

Kratz went to spring training with San Diego this season and was traded to Houston. He played 15 games for the Astros, was cut in mid-May and joined the Angels’ Triple-A team.

The Pirates also designated for assignment Triple-A right-hander Trey Haley.

Suarez passes Busch for win in Michigan

BROOKLYN, MICH.

Daniel Suarez passed Kyle Busch toward the end of the Xfinity Series race at Michigan and held on for his first career victory in NASCAR’s second-tier circuit.

Busch led much of the 125-lap Menards 250 race Saturday, but couldn’t stay ahead of the Mexican driver for the final two laps.

Busch, Paul Menard, Erik Jones and Elliott Sadler finished in the top five.

Gordie Howe was mentioned during the invocation before the race about 70 miles west of Detroit, where he played much of his career for the Red Wings. Howe died Friday at 88.

Staff/wire report