SPORTS DIGEST || Area umps to work Pony World Series

Area umps to work Pony World Series

WASHINGTON, PA.

Mahoning Valley umpires Jeff Vrabel, Sr., Dave Smolko, Ray Parker and Jeff DeChellis will work the 2017 Dicks Sporting Goods Pony League World Series in Washington, Pa. starting today. A team of Youngstown all-stars qualified for the tournament.

Scrappers clinch 10th series

Aberdeen, MD.

Will Benson drove in two runs in the first inning to give the Mahoning Valley Scrappers the early lead. Mahoning Valley would add on three more runs late and rode the arms of Sam Hentges and Felix Tati to a 5-1 win over the Aberdeen Ironbirds. The win is the Scrappers tenth series win of the season.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the first inning, Benson singled to right to drive home Nolan Jones and Oscar Gonzalez for the early 2-0 lead.

The scoring would halt for both sides until the top of the sixth inning. Simeon Lucas started the inning with a single. Austen Wade followed with a single as well. Then with one out, Jonathan Laureano singled to load the bases. Lucas would come in to score on a wild pitch with Mike Rivera batting to push the lead to 3-0.

In the top of the seventh inning Ernie Clement started the inning with a double. The extra base hit extended Clement’s hitting streak to 21 games. Jones followed and connected on his third homerun of the season. The two run blast pushed the Scrappers lead to 5-0.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Ironbirds would get their only run on an RBI single from Mason McCoy.

Vikings fan alleges excessive force

MINNEAPOLIS

A football fan who was arrested during a Minnesota Vikings game says he’s focusing on his excessive-force lawsuit against police after being cleared of criminal charges.

Anastacio Lopez was charged after allegedly trying to grab an officer’s stun gun while being escorted from the stadium on Dec. 1. He was acquitted Wednesday of attempting to disarm an officer.

Surveillance video obtained by St. Paul television station KSTP-TV shows two officers using their stun guns on Lopez and striking him with closed fists.

Lopez tells the station he was drinking at the game and doesn’t remember much. His lawyer says the surveillance footage shows the officers’ actions were excessive. Lopez’s federal civil rights lawsuit also names the city as a defendant.

Team USA is No. 26 in FIFA rankings

ZURICH

The United States climbed nine spots to 26th in the FIFA rankings after winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The U.S. had dropped 12 places to 35th in the July rankings, one above the Americans’ low in July and August 2012. Much of that drop was attributable to a devaluation of points from last year’s Copa America.

Brazil regained the top spot Thursday after a one-month absence, replacing World Cup champion Germany.

High school football player dies during drill

FARMINGVILLE, N.Y.

A high school football player performing a drill used by the U.S. Navy SEALs for conditioning was killed Thursday when the log he and teammates were carrying fatally struck him in the head, police said.

Joshua Mileto, 16, was taking part in a preseason exercise camp with the Sachem East High School football team when the accident occurred at the school on eastern Long Island, according to Suffolk County homicide detectives. No other injuries were reported. The team was participating in an exercise camp before the official start of team training on Monday. The football season begins in September.

Carlin Schledorn, a Sachem East graduate who played football as a junior, said carrying the log, which is about 12 feet long and the diameter of a utility pole, was an exercise used for “team building.”

Staff/wire report