August 19, 2021 3:53 am
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska has announced that the NCAA is looking into its football program amid allegations Cornhuskers staff improperly used analysts and consultants with the knowledge of coach Scott Frost . The team also allegedly moved workouts off campus last year when such activities were banned during the pandemic. Athletic director Trev Alberts confirmed the investigation first reported by The Action Network. Citing unidentified sources, The Action Network report said Nebraska has “significant video footage” confirming practice violations occurred in the presence of Frost and other assistants. Frost said any workouts were approved by his superiors.
August 17, 2021 2:55 am
Persistent rain during the day Monday led PONY officials to postpone the Division Finals to Tuesday afternoon.
In the opener, Brownsville, TX forced an “If Necessary” game with a 2-1 win over previously-unbeaten Johnstown, PA. Javier Garcia held the Host Area champions to one unearned run over six innings to get the win. Itziel Gonzalez doubled in one run in the fourth, Alexis Lopez sprinted home on a wild pitch in the fifth, giving the South Zone squad a 2-0 lead. Johnstown put two on with no outs in the fifth and sixth innings but managed just one run out of those chances. Ben Kormanski grounded out in the sixth, plating Anthony Grippo with Johnstown’s only run of the game. The two squads will play a five-inning game to decide a spot in the World Series championship game at 8 o’clock.
Youngstown, OH scored four times in the first inning, rolling past Washington County, 11-0, in five innings. Hunter Garvin’s two-run single opened the scoring, part of a big night for the Host Area runner-up’s starting pitcher. He picked up the win, holding the Hosts to two hits and no runs over four innings while driving in four runs with a single and a double. Carter Wilson, Quinn Meola and Jake Rynd also drove in runs, helping Youngstown return to the finals for the first time since losing to Washington in 1955. The local squad had two runners on base in three of the five innings but couldn’t cash in against Garvin. Cameron Dames finished the series as the leading hitter for Washington County, receiving the John D. Voytek Memorial Award.
Brownsville completed the sweep against Johnstown, downing the Host Area champions, 6-2, in the five-inning ‘if necessary’ game. The South Zone champions scored twice in the third, using an RBI single from winning pitcher Ruben Lopez plus a Christopher Ramos sacrifice fly. Johnstown tied the game in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back doubles by Chase Williamson and Aaron Smearman but the latter made a wide turn at second and was tagged out, quashing the rally. Miah Vela doubled to open the fourth and scored on two straight flyball outs to right. Jorge Garza doubled in a run and later scored on Nehemiah Garcia’s two-run single. Johnstown had just one baserunner over the final two innings. Brownsville reaches the World Series championship game for the first time ever. Johnstown was stopped short in their bid for the same prize.
August 18, 2021 3:46 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Matt Beaty hit a tiebreaking, two-run double with two outs in the fifth inning to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3. The Dodgers extended their franchise-record winning streak to 15 games against the Pirates. Los Angeles has won five in a row and 10 of 12 overall, but still hasn’t gained any ground on NL West-leading San Francisco. The LA bullpen turned in another stellar effort, with Corey Knebel getting the victory with 1 1/3 innings of hitless ball. Cody Ponce took the loss for the Pirates.
August 18, 2021 2:23 am
(WPXI) – A prominent Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was hurt at practice on Tuesday. Chase Claypool went down with a knee or ankle injury, according to our partner DKPittsburghSports.com. Reporter Dale Lolley tweeted that Claypool’s fellow players had to help him into the locker room. Coach Mike Tomlin later said that Claypool is being evaluated. Lolley reports the injury appears to be to Claypool’s right leg.
August 16, 2021 12:32 am
Brownsville, TX scored six times over the first two innings and rolled to an 8-1 win over Manchester, NH, eliminating the East Zone champions. Three hits and a walk after two outs in the first proved to be enough to stay alive. Nehemiah Garcia’s RBI single opened the scoring and the skies as the teams endured a rain delay of nearly seven hours, just five batters into the game. When play resumed, Miguel Soto singled, scoring two more runs. Manchester scored on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning, but managed just one more hit through the rest of the five-inning game. Garcia work 3.2 inning to get the win. The Texans took advantage of three Manchester errors to add five unearned run to put the game away. Noah Durham finished the tournament with a .571 batting average, the best among eliminated players.
Bayamon scored first and last, but Washington County scored the most as the Host team topped the Caribbean champions, 8-2, in a five-inning elimination game. The locals sent eight batters to the plate in the second and third innings, scoring three times in each frame. Zeke Watkins doubled home Kole Olszewski, tying the game in the second. Following a line out and a walk, winning pitcher Brogan Meighen scorched a grounder past second, giving Washington County a lead it would not surrender. Cameron Dames followed with a run-scoring base hit. In the third, Olszewski singled and scored later on a wild pitch. Dames stroked a two-run single with the bases loaded to break the game open. Washington County added two runs in the fourth, loading the bases with nobody out. Watkins picked up his second RBI with a single. Derek Falvo’s groundout plated the final run. Joniel Cuadrado doubled in a run in the bottom of the first, another in the bottom of the fifth for Bayamon. The Puerto Rico squad had just two other hits, both singles. Meighen went the distance, not allowing an earned run and just four hits, one walk.
August 17, 2021 3:53 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Max Muncy hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates for their fourth straight victory. Billy McKinney’s solo shot – his first as a Dodger – tied the game in the seventh. The Dodgers’ winning streak over the Pirates reached 14 games and they’ve won 11 in a row against them at home. They are 21-2 against Pittsburgh since 2017. Blake Treinen got the win in relief. He struck out two in 1 1/3 innings. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 24th save, but not without some suspense.
August 16, 2021 3:50 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Willy Adames scored twice, Christian Yelich had two hits and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the sloppy Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1. Adames scored in the first and third as Milwaukee never trailed. The NL Central-leading Brewers took two of three in the series against the last-place Pirates. Brent Suter struck out two in the fifth to earn the win. Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.
August 16, 2021 3:48 am
Joe Walton, the former New York Jets coach who built Robert Morris University’s football program from the ground up, has died. He was 85. Robert Morris announced in an obituary posted on its website that Walton died Sunday. No cause of death was provided. Walton coached the Jets for seven years and went 53-57-1 while leading New York to the playoffs twice. A former NFL tight end for Washington and the Giants, Walton caught 178 passes for 2,628 yards and 28 touchdowns in seven seasons. The longtime NFL assistant was hired by Robert Morris in 1993 and 114-92-1 in 20 seasons.
August 15, 2021 11:59 pm
Manchester, NH scored six times in the fourth and rolled to the program’s first-ever PONY World Series victory, eliminating San Jose, CA, 9-2. Runs scored on a sacrifice, a fielder’s choice, Noah Durham’s two-run single, a hit by Maddox Turck and Henry Dubois’ RBI double. San Jose scored their only runs of the tournament in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch and squeeze bunt before NH put the game away in the seventh. Ryan Dutton, Dillon Gaudet and Durham went double-single-double to close the scoring. Jaiden Bosquet got the win for his 5.2 innings of work, allow two runs and four hits while striking out eight. San Jose’s first trip to the World Series wasn’t without bright spots. David Colon won the Home Run Derby Individual championship and is the tournament’s leading hitter among eliminated players. Pitcher Zack Koontz is the ERA leader, having worked 7.1 scoreless innings in the opening round loss to Brownsville. San Jose also won the Team Home Run Derby title. Manchester faces Brownsville, TX Monday morning (10:00 am) in an elimination game.
Brownsville, TX built a 2-0 lead only to see Johnstown, PA score three times in the bottom of the fifth to take control of the division with a 3-2 win. Three walks in the first, coupled with a pair of fielder’s choice plays gave the South Zone champions a 1-0 lead. Brownsville made it 2-0 in the top of the fifth, getting a two-out double from Jorge Garza and Ruben Lopez’ RBI single. Back-to-back walks and a Chase Williamson single ended the day for Brownsville starter Jai Arenas. Aaron Smearman smacked reliever Miah Vela’s first pitch into left, tying the game. One out later, Aaron Bowers struck out but a passed ball allowed him to reach first. A grounder by Lucas Oleksa that should have ended the inning plated the go-ahead run. Williamson started and got the win for Johnstown, going five inning and allowing four hits while surviving six walks. Adam Radkowski did not allow a hit over the final two innings to earn a save. Johnstown now sits one win away from a berth in the World Series championship game.
Back-to-back pitching gems closed the action Sunday night.
Jonah Williamson and Cameron Dames combined on a two-hitter, leading Washington County to a 3-0 win over Bay County, MI. The Hosts plated a pair of runs in the third, one scoring on Williamson’s base hit, another on a passed ball. Washington County added another unearned run in the fourth, using a walk, a base hit, an outfield error and a fielder’s choice to lead 3-0. Williamson started and dominated, holding the North Zone champs to two singles until running into two-out trouble in the sixth, thanks to two walks. Dames came on, coaxed a grounder to short that was misplayed but the runner from first rounded second and was tagged out to end the threat. Dames worked a clean seventh to earn a save. Six different Washington County players had base hits in the win, staving off elimination. The locals will take on Bayamon, PR Monday afternoon (12:30 pm).
Youngstown’s Mason Petridis tossed a complete game one-hitter, shutting down Bayamon, PR, and moving to Monday night’s division final. The Host Area runner-up took a 1-0 lead in the first on Jackson Cheeks’ sacrifice fly. Hunter Garvin continued his hot hitting, crushing a two-run home run in the third. Youngstown made it 4-0 later in the inning as Jake Rynd lofted a sac fly to score Dom Cubellis after his one-out triple to left-center. Bayamon’s only run came in the fourth. Eliel Ramos led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a ground out and scored on another Petridis wild offering. That was the only wildness shown all night by the right-hander who allowed just one run, one hit and one walk while striking out nine Bayamon batters. The Caribbean champions now face Washington County to stay alive. Meanwhile, Youngtown, like Johnstown, needs one more win to reach the World Series title game.
August 15, 2021 7:44 am
PITTSBURGH — Kevin Newman tied a major league record with four doubles — in successive innings, no less — and the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled over the Milwaukee Brewers 14-4 Saturday to snap their eight-game losing streak in the first game of a doubleheader. Newman doubled in each inning from the third through the sixth in the seven-inning game. He also scored four times. Newman’s third double drove in two to spark a six-run fifth that included Bryan Reynolds’ two-run homer. That outburst broke the game open, giving the Pirates a 12-4 lead. The only Pirates to previously hit four doubles in a game were Hall of Famer Paul Waner in 1932 and Adam Frazier in 2019. Rookie Hoy Park had three of the Pirates’ 19 hits. Ke’Bryan Hayes, Reynolds, Rodolfo Castro and Gregory Polanco added two hits each. Hayes, Jacob Stallings and Newman had two RBI apiece. Pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo and Hayes added RBI in the big fifth. Chasen Shreve (1-0) struck out the side in the fifth. Brett Anderson (4-6) was tagged for six runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He lost for just the second time to the Pirates in eight career decisions.
