SPORTS digest

YSU softball earns doubleheader sweep

Detroit

Junior Sarah Dowd hit three home runs, scored five times and drove in four more runs on the day to lead the Youngstown State softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Detroit, 6-2, 8-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Buysse Ballpark.

Dowd, who now ranks second all-time at YSU with 28 career home runs, became the first player in school history to hit at least 10 home runs in multiple seasons. She tied the single-season home run record with 11 in 2015. Youngstown State Head Coach Brian Campbell also recorded his 450th career win in the 6-2 game one victory.

With the sweep, the Penguins improve to 26-18 overall and 12-6 in the Horizon League while Detroit falls to 17-38 overall and 7-16 in the league.

In the opener, Dowd led off the game with a solo home run to center field and Cali Mikovich went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a home run and two RBIs. Freshman pitcher Paige Geanangel picked up her 13th win of the year allowing just five hits and striking out five in a complete-game victory.

In the nightcap, Dowd began the scoring with a two-out solo home run in the top of the third inning. Sophomore Stevie Taylor blasted a two-run home run, her third of the year, to left field to put the Penguins up 3-2. Dowd, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, then hit a two-run home run to left field to extend the Penguins’ lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning.

The Penguins and Titans close out the series with a single game, Wednesday, at 10 a.m.

YSU men’s basketball adds three recruits

Youngstown

The Youngstown State men’s basketball program signed Jeremiah Ferguson (Chicago, Ill), Stefan Rosic (Kragujevac, Serbia), and Rahim Williams (Brampton, Ontario) to National Letters of Intent during the late signing period to join the Penguins for the 2016-17 season, Head Coach Jerry Slocum announced.

Ferguson is a 6-foot-2 freshman guard while Rosic is a 6-foot-8 junior forward and Williams is a 6-foot-6 junior wing. Ferguson will have four years of eligibility while Rosic and Williams each have two years remaining.

Ferguson, Rosic and Williams join Braun Hartfield (Cleveland, Ohio), who signed in November, in the 2016-17 recruiting class.

Ferguson, who played at The Peddie School – a prep school in New Jersey, averaged 16 points and four assists per game last year.

Rosic played his high school basketball at North Central Texas Academy and originally signed with Utah State, but played two seasons at Arizona Western Junior College.

Williams, who was redshirted in 2014-15, started 24 games at the State College of Florida last season and averaged 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

Court grants Brady extension for appeal

NEW YORK

Tom Brady’s lawyers will get another two weeks to appeal his “Deflategate” suspension.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Brady could have until May 23 to decide whether to ask for a rehearing in front of the same three-judge panel or a new hearing — called “en banc” — in front of the entire circuit. The court ruled 2-1 on April 25 ruled that Commissioner Roger Goodell was within his rights to suspend Brady for four games for his role in using improperly inflated footballs in the 2015 AFC championship game.

Hall of Fame coach Don Shula hospitalized

MIAMI

Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula has been admitted to a hospital for treatment of fluid retention and sleep apnea.

Shula’s ailments were confirmed in a statement Tuesday by his wife, Mary Anne. He was admitted Monday, and she said the family “is looking for a speedy recovery.”

The 86-year-old Shula led his teams to an NFL-record 347 victories in 33 seasons and helped the Miami Dolphins achieve the only perfect season in league history in 1972.

Staff and wire reports