SPORTS digest

YSU baseball changes schedule for NKU

NILES

Because of a rainy forecast for the weekend, the Youngstown State University baseball team has changed its schedule for this weekend’s games with Northern Kentucky at Eastwood Field.

The three-game series will begin today with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. The series finale is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m.

YSU’s Shutt earns another Nike Award

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State junior Katlyn Shutt has been named the Nike Horizon League Co-Women’s Golfer of the Week for April 10-16.

This is the second time this season that the Dover native has earned the league’s weekly award. It also marks the third time this season that a Penguin has won the honor. Victoria Grans was named the league’s Women’s Golfer of the Week on March 20.

Shutt tied for medalist honors with an even-par 72 to lead YSU to its fourth victory of the season at the YSU Spring Invitational on Saturday. The round featured five birdies and eight pars, and she made par or better on seven straight holes.

Eastern Gateway loses, cancels doubleheader

MONROEVILLE, PA.

The Eastern Gateway baseball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Community College of Allegheny County-Boyce on Wednesday to fall to 14-13 on the season.

Noah Laster pitched six strong innings and had the only hit for the Gators.

Josie Ayala gave up all the runs in relief to absorb the loss.

Eastern Gateway has canceled Friday’s home doubleheader with Tri-C at Austintown Fitch High School.

The Gators will host Tri-C in a doubleheader on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Rich Coppola Field.

Red Sox’s Price criticizes MLB on Robinson schedule

NEW YORK

Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price thinks Major League Baseball made a mistake by having just 10 games Monday on Jackie Robinson Day.

“Hey (at)mlb every year on April 15th we celebrate Jackie Robinson Day,” Price tweeted Wednesday. “EVERYONE plays on that day next year deal? No one should have an off day let alone 10 teams!!”

African American players dropped from 18 percent of the majors leagues in 1991 to 7.7 percent in 2017, then rose to 8.4 percent in 2018, according to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida. Price, who won the 2012 AL Cy Young Award, thinks more efforts on Jackie Robinson Day are needed.

Jackie Robinson broke the major league color barrier for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.

“1/3 of (at)mlb teams had an off day on Jackie Robinson day,” tweeted Price, who is black. “I just can’t wrap my head around that. We’ve had a problem for a while and this couldn’t make it any more noticeable.”

This year, April 15 fell on a Monday. Most teams’ scheduled off days are on Mondays and Thursdays.

Tottenham survives very late scare by Manchester City

MANCHESTER, England

More than two minutes into stoppage time, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling slid across the field and puffed his chest to the crowd, roaring in elation. Tottenham players collapsed to the turf, some flat on their backs, forlorn and heartbroken.

From the brink of Champions League elimination, Manchester City was celebrating its passage to the semifinals.

Not for long.

As City manager Pep Guardiola was leaping on the touchline, Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir was receiving updates in his ear from the video assistant referee checking replays.

The stadium soon became hushed until the big screen flashed: “No goal. VAR. Offside.”

Guardiola threw his head in his hands, but there was nothing to argue about.

When Christian Eriksen’s misplaced back-pass deflected off Bernardo Silva into the path of Sergio Aguero, the City striker was offside before setting up Sterling in the penalty area.

“It’s cruel,” Guardiola said.

There would be no eighth goal on this breathtaking night of epic drama. Tottenham advanced on away goals following Wednesday’s 4-3 loss that left the teams tied 4-4 on aggregate.

City’s quadruple dreams were extinguished. Guardiola, a Champions League-winning coach with Lionel Messi’s Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, failed to reach the semifinals for the sixth straight time, his third with City after three misses with Bayern Munich.

Instead, Tottenham reached to its first European Cup semifinal in 57 years and will play Ajax.

Liverpool meets Barcelona following a 6-1 aggregate win over Porto, giving England multiple clubs in the semifinals for the first time since Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea in 2009.

Staff/wire report