SPORTS digest

Carl Pelini to speak at Curbstone luncheon

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Youngstown State University defensive coordinator Carl Pelini is scheduled as the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend.

YSU’s Zach Farrar transfers to Auburn

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State wideout Zach Farrar is transferring to Auburn, the player announced on Twitter Saturday afternoon.

Farrar joins the Tigers as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining. In one season at YSU, he caught 20 passes for 307 yards and touchdown while appearing in six games. He also appeared in 19 games for the Penguins’ baseball team, batting .200 with a double, five RBIs and three stolen bases.

Prior to YSU, Farrar was drafted in the 26th round of the MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox, but declined a contract offer. He went to Oklahoma for football and transferred to Mississippi Gulf Coast after a redshirt season with the Sooners.

Rafael Nadal gets his revenge over Tsitsipas

ROME

After losing in the semifinals of three straight clay-court tournaments, Rafael Nadal looked more like his old, dominant self when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Italian Open final on Saturday.

It was a measure of revenge for Nadal after losing to Tsitsipas in three sets at this stage in Madrid last week. This victory should also restore Nadal’s confidence as he seeks a record-extending 12th title at the French Open starting next weekend.

In today’s final, Nadal will resume his rivalry with top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who faced an unusually high number of drop shots from Diego Schwartzman before winning 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3.

Djokovic also required three sets to eliminate Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals, meaning he has been on court for more than 5 1/2 hours the last two days.

It will be the 54th meeting between Djokovic and Nadal, with Djokovic leading 28-25. The pair has split the four Italian Open finals they’ve played. They last met in the Australian Open final won by Djokovic in straight sets.

Wilder KOs Breazeale to defend WBC belt

NEW YORK

Deontay Wilder got back into the win column Saturday night, knocking out Dominic Breazeale with an overpowering right hand in the first round to defend his heavyweight title.

Wilder hurt Breazeale with a right to the head early in their fight at Barclays Center, but the challenger had recovered from that early onslaught. But there was no coming back from the right later in the round that immediately dropped Breazeale, who was trying to get up as referee Harvey Dock counted him out at 2:17 of the round.

Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs) was coming off his draw against Tyson Fury in December, the first fight of his pro career that wasn’t a victory. He wanted a rematch with Fury or a unification match with fellow champion Anthony Joshua, but when those couldn’t be made settled for a mandatory defense of his WBC title.

He ended it quickly, finishing off Breazeale (20-2) after being pushed hard in each of his last two fights.

Finlay’s goal lifts MU over Columbus 1-0

MINNEAPOLIS

Ethan Finlay scored against his former team in the 70th minute, and Minnesota United held on for a 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night.

Romain Metanire played in a diagonal cross, which Brent Kallman headed back across the 6-yard box, and Finlay was waiting near the far post for the tap-in. Finlay played for Columbus from 2012-17 until he was traded to the Loons (5-4-3).

Darwin Quintero found the net twice in the first half for Minnesota United but was ruled offside both times.

The Crew (5-8-1), who have lost seven of eight, had no shots on target.

Staff/wire report