SPORTS digest

Andraso to speak at Curbstone Coaches

ITCL Commissioner Paul Andraso will be the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting 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.

Also, plans are underway for the 50th Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony which is set for May 7 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman. The keynote speaker will be former Oakland Raider offensive lineman and local business man Ed Muransky.

Tickets are now available by contacting Mariel Sallee at 330-519-6819. Tickets are also available for $50 for any inductee over the last 50 years in honor of The Curbstone Coaches 50th anniversary.

District tickets on sale for area schools

Tickets for the Warren Harding district basketball semifinal at Alliance will be on sale at the WGH ticket office on Monday and Tuesday from 1:30-5 p.m. and Wednesday from 1:30-3 p.m. Adults tickets are $6 and student tickets are $4. Fans are urged to buy at the school as the school receives a percentage of ticket sales. All tickets at Alliance High School are $6.

The Poland Athletic office will sell presale tickets to the Wednesday, March 8th district semifinal game vs Salem Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and Wednesday until noon. Tickets are $4 and $6. All tickets at the gate are $6.

Springfield Local boys basketball district presale tickets will be available in the Athletic Office on Sunday 4:30-6 p.m. and during the school day on Monday. Adult tickets are $6 and Student tickets are $4.

Indians clobber A’s in offensive slugfest

Lonnie Chisenhall homered and doubled, and Brandon Guyer and Erik Gonzalez also homered for Cleveland. Indians starter Mike Clevenger was roughed up for four earned runs on five hits and a walk over two innings.

Oakland starting prospect Chad Manaea surrendered four runs on five hits and a walk in 12/3 innings.

Pirates defeat Red Sox by slim 3-2 margin

Productive all-purpose player Josh Harrison of Pittsburgh announced he would play for the U.S. team at the WBC as a replacement for Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter.

David Freese and Jose Osuna hit RBI singles and Andrew McCutchen had a hit and a sacrifice fly.

Boston’s Chris Young hit a two-run homer off Wade LeBlanc.

Changes coming to NBA All-Star Game

Change is coming to the defense-optional All-Star Game, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants to hear ideas.

Silver and players’ union President Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers have spoken about how to make the game more competitive. No decisions have been made, but the Western Conference’s 192-182 win over the Eastern Conference last month in New Orleans underlined such a need.

Some All-Stars said that night they would like to see a more authentic game, and the league apparently agrees.

“We will change it by next year,” Silver said. “It shouldn’t be playoff intensity, but the guys should be playing.”

Busch wins Xfinity race at Atlanta

hampton, ga.

Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second year in a row Saturday.

With a helping hand from lapped cars, pole-winner Busch was able to hold off Brad Keselowski by 0.606 seconds.

No one else was within 2 seconds of the winner.

Keselowski won the first 40-lap stage, Kevin Harvick took the next 40-lap phase and Busch was leading at the end — a promising start to a busy weekend in Atlanta, where he is competing in all three of NASCAR’s top series.

Staff/Wire reports