SPORTS digest

Phantoms fail to hold three-goal lead

MUSKEGON, MICH.

The Youngstown Phantoms produced their first three-goal lead of the season on Sunday against the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

They couldn’t hold it as the Lumberjacks rallied for a 5-4 victory.

Craig Needham was credited with a goal when he was on a breakaway and Lumberjacks defenseman Egor Afanasyev took away the puck but knocked it into the Muskegon net.

After Connor MacEachern scored, Needham made it 3-0 with his second goal.

In the second period, Mikael Hakkarainen, Alex Gaffney and Matthew Staudacher scored to tie the game.

Matt DeMelis gave the Phantoms (0-4-0-1, 1 point) a 4-3 lead, but the Lumberjacks scored twice more for the win.

Phantoms goalie Jon Mor made 25 saves).

YSU golfers set for Michigan finale

HIGHLAND, MICH.

The Youngstown State men’s golf team will conclude its fall schedule with the Titans Motown Collegiate hosted by Detroit Mercy at Prestwick Village Golf Club today and Tuesday.

The tournament field will feature Canisius, Chicago State, Detroit Mercy, Ferris State, Grand Valley, Green Bay, Loyola (Ill.), Robert Morris and Valparaiso.

The YSU lineup will have Kevin Scherr, Ken Keller, C.J. Hughes, Bryan Kordupel and Brian Terlesky while Justin Stark will compete as an individual.

YSU bowlers earn two more victories

READING, PA.

The Youngstown State bowling team picked up two more wins and another 10th-place finish as it closed out the opening weekend at the Bud Whitman Memorial on Sunday at Berks Lanes.

Junior Nikki Mendez was YSU’s top individual finisher, placing 24th with a five-game total of 894. Her 211 to start the day against Kutztown was the highest total by a Penguin during team play. Rachel Ellis was 20 pins behind Mendez and finished 33rd, and Emma Dockery finished 37th with an 865. Rachel Darrow and Emily Dietz tied for 47th with an 831.

Langer wins SAS

CARY, N.C.

Bernhard Langer ran away with the SAS Championship on Sunday to take the points lead into the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup playoffs

Langer shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 for a six-stroke victory in the regular-season finale. The 61-year-old German star has 38 victories on the 50-and-over tour, also winning this year near Houston.

Langer finished at 22-under 194 for his second victory at Prestonwood Country Club, the tree-lined layout softened by heavy rain Thursday from Hurricane Michael.

Scott Parel was second, closing with a double bogey for a 65.

Jerry Kelly had a 68 to finish third at 15 under, and Lehman followed at 13 under after a 71.

Almirola caps rout for Stewart-Haas

TALLADEGA, Ala.

Aric Almirola capped an absolute Stewart-Haas Racing rout at Talladega Superspeedway with an overtime victory that earned him an automatic berth into the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs.

Almirola was part of the four-car SHR contingent that was untouchable all weekend at Talladega. The four Fords swept qualifying, won every stage of Sunday’s race and used teamwork to pull away from the field.

SHR had the race in control until a caution with three laps remaining sent the race into overtime. Then the fuel pressure light on Kurt Busch’s car began to flicker, and Kevin Harvick’s light followed. As the field roared to the green flag, Harvick forfeited a shot at victory by pulling off the track to get enough gas to make it to the finish.

Busch stayed out as the leader with Almirola and Clint Bowyer looking for a slot to slip past him for the victory. Then Busch ran out of gas headed to the checkered flag and Almirola zipped past him for his first victory of the season, first since joining SHR this year as the replacement for Danica Patrick.

Staff/wire report