SPORTS DIGEST || Loew and Salinas will speak at Curbstone

Loew and Salinas will speak at Curbstone

Local boxing trainer Jack Loew and Junior Lightweight prospect Alejandro “Popo” Salinas will be the guest speakers Monday at the weekly luncheon of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend.

Phantoms lose fifth straight game

YOUNGSTOWN

The Bloomington Thunder ruined the debut of the Youngstown Phantoms’ new mascot, Boomer, handing the home team a 4-1 defeat.

The Phantoms (7-7-0-1) have lost five in a row, conceding two power play goals Saturday night. Griffin Lunn, Cameron Burke and Mitchell Mattson scored for the Thunder in the first period before the Phantoms’ Dominic Dockery had his team’s lone goal.

Ben Mirageas’ power play tally concluded Binghamton’s scoring.

Phantoms’ goalie Darion Hanson let in three goals in nine minutes before making way for Ivan Kulbakov. Kulbakov made 17 saves in relief.

The Phantoms hit the road to play the Tri-City Storm on Friday.

Scrappers set 2017 NY-PL schedule

niles

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers have released their schedule for the 2017 season. The Scrappers will open the 2017 season at home on Wednesday, June 21 against the Auburn Doubledays. Opening Night festivities will be highlighted by a post-game fireworks show.

Additional highlights of the 2017 schedule include a home game on July 4 with post-game fireworks. The Scrappers will have seven Thursday Buck Nights with $1 general admission tickets, hot dogs and 12 oz. drinks and a total of seven fireworks nights at Eastwood Field during the season.

The Scrappers, Class A Affiliate of the Cleveland Indians play a 76 game schedule in the New York-Penn League, including 38 home games at Eastwood Field.

Ticket packages for the 2017 season are now on sale. For more information, contact the Scrappers Front Office at 330-505-0000 or visit www.mvscrappers.com for a complete schedule.

EGCC hosting baseball meet & greet for coach

youngstown

Eastern Gateway Community College will hold a “Meet and Greet” for new baseball coach Jason Stanford on Monday, Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Valley Center, 101 E. Federal Street, Youngstown.

The event, which is open to the public, will formally introduce Stanford as the school’s first baseball coach and those interested is supporting the program and trying out for the team are encouraged to attend.

“We are excited to have Jason as EGCC’s first head baseball coach,” Zizzo said. “Having obtained the pinnacle as a MLB player, his experience will be invaluable to our players and our athletic program as a whole.”

Stanford had two stints with the Indians, initially from 2003-04 and again in 2007, compiling a 2-5 overall mark with a 3.61 earned run average.

Venus and Serena Williams return home

COMPTON, Calif.

Venus and Serena Williams have returned to their childhood California hometown for the first time since their half-sister was killed there in 2003 to have tennis courts dedicated in their honor.

The sisters were greeted by cheers when they arrived Saturday at Lueders Park, not far from their former home in the violence-plagued city of Compton located 17 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.

Banners hung in the four corners of the two newly refurbished courts proclaiming them the Venus & Serena Williams Court of Champions.

Serena says driving to Compton from the Los Angeles airport “brought back so many memories.” Venus says it’s been “surreal” coming home to where they first learned to play tennis under the tutelage of their father, Richard, who didn’t attend. The sisters were accompanied by their mother, Oracene Price.

Staff/wire reports