SPORTS DIGEST || Scrappers homer twice in win over Black Bears

Scrappers homer twice in win over Black Bears

GRANVILLE, W.Va.

Simeon Lucas and Nolan Jones each hit a home run and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers allowed no hits for five innings in a 6-3 win against the West Virgina Black Bears.

Starter Zach Plesac needed only 38 pitches to get through the first three innings, walking one and striking out six. Winning pitcher Kirk McCarty struck out one and walked one in two innings of work. They combined to allow no hits.

Oscar Gonzalez drove in two runs on three hits.

Bligh Madris drove in two runs for West Virginia, including an RBI-triple. Nick King added another RBI triple in the ninth for the losing side.

Stephen Meyer was the losing pitcher for the Black Bears. In five innings, he gave up two earned runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three.

The two sides meet again today at 7:05 p.m.

Valley players lift Ohio in 38th All-Star Classic

BEAVER FALLS, PA.

Columbiana’s Mitch Davidson threw touchdown passes to Salem’s Cooper Berezedi and Western Reserve’s Wyatt Larimer and Springfield’s Frankie Centofanti ran for a TD as Ohio beat Pennsylvania 21-20 in the 38th annual Penn-Oho All-Star Classic on Thursday night.

Pennsylvania trailed 21-14 late, but drove 69 yards in 13 plays as time was running out, capping the march with a 12-yard TD pass from Amos Luptak (Quaker Valley) to Nick Henderson (Freedom) to get within a point with less than a minute to play.

But Ohio stopped a Pennsylvania’s two-point conversion run and ran out the clock to clinch the victory.

South Range’s Nathan Daniszewski rushed for 82 yards on 12 carries to lead Ohio. Centofanti added 32 yards on five attempts, including a 5-yard TD.

Davidson was 5 of 8 for 82 yards. Bezeredi caught two passes for 36 yards, including a 4-yard TD. Larimer’s TD catch went for 19 yards.

Luptak was 11 of 17 for 177 yards and two TDs, both caught by Henderson — the game’s MVP — who finished with five catches for 77 yards. Henderson’s other TD catch covered 43 yards.

Mill Creek pros to team up with high schoolers

BOARDMAN

Mill Creek Golf Course professionals are teaming up with area high school players on Sunday for the Northern Ohio PGA Sections Pro-3 Junior Tournament at Firestone Country Club in Akron. PGA Director of Golf Brian Tolnar is with Boardman’s Bobby Jonda and Bryan Kordupel and Poland’s Kyle Koziel. Head pros Andy Santor and Stacie Butler each have their teams as well.

Santor is teamed with Cardinal Mooney’s Nick Braydich, Rebel Strollo and Columbiana’s Jared Wilson. Butler is with Mooney’s Keegan Butler, Poland’s Zach Jacobson and Campbell’s Dean Austalosh. The event will be played in a 2 best ball of 4 format.

Cafe 422 wins Route 304 Softball League

Cafe 422 won the 12-U softball division of the Route 304 League on Thursday, beating Mathews 11-1. The team went 19-1. The team’s members were Kaitlyn Culver, Esra DeDe, Abbie Rafferty, Emily Semple, Allison Durkin, Sophia Latell, Emily Rosace, Sidnee Rice, Addison Owens, Madison Malito, Erica Teter, Megan Durkin and Megan Kloniker.

NHL enforcer Semenko dies of cancer at 59

EDMONTON, ALBERTA

Dave Semenko, the Edmonton Oilers tough guy who protected Wayne Gretzky during the 1980s, has died. He was 59.

He died in Edmonton after a short battle with cancer, the team said Thursday.

Semenko was the bodyguard for “The Great One” for parts of 10 seasons with the Oilers in the World Hockey Association and NHL. He helped Edmonton win the Stanley Cup in 1984 and 1985.

The 6-foot-3 winger from Winnipeg had 65 goals, 88 assists and 1,175 penalty minutes in 575 regular-season NHL games. He had six goals, six assists in 73 playoff games.

Staff/wire reports