Ludwig hits transfer protocol

TOLEDO — East Liverpool High School graduate and University of Toledo freshman offensive lineman Mason Ludwig announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday that he was entering the transfer protocol with four years of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Ludwig was a standout All-Ohio offensive lineman for the Potters. West Branch High School graduate Jason Candle is the Toledo head coach. Ludwig was redshirted his freshman season.

Record breaker at Mount

ALLIANCE — Junior Drake Willenborg smashed the Mount Union school record in the discus at the John Homon Open on Saturday.

Willenborg put up the top Division III throw in the nation this season with a toss of 180-feet-0 at Kehres Stadium, breaking the school mark of 174-3 set by Sean Denard in 2012.

He was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week for the second time this season and third in his career.

Willenborg is the defending OAC champion in the discus and placed fifth at the NCAA Division III national meet last year.

The Mount Union women won eight events, including one by senior Sidney Rambo, a former Crestview High School state placer. She won the discus with a toss of 138-feet-4.

Mount Union freshman Makenna Rudy, the 2023 Ohio Division II state champion, was second in the shot put at 41-feet-3 3/4.

Area runners compete in Boston

BOSTON — At least two Columbiana County residents finished the 128th annual Boston Marathon on Monday.

There were 29,451 runners from 118 countries who started the 26.2-mile race:

• Natalie Guappone, 57, of Lisbon, was 16,315th overall in a time of 4 hours, 36 seconds. She was 254th in the women’s 55-59 age group.

• Erica Miller, 46, of East Liverpool, was 17,388 overall in a time of 4 hours, 7 minutes, 27 seconds. She was 1,203rd in the women’s 45-49 age group.

• Kayla (Witmer) Aluise, 35, of North Lima, was 1,984th overall in a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes, 35 seconds. She was 91st in the women’s race and was 81st in the women’s 18-39 age group. She was a distance standout for South Range High School.

• Mark Hadley, 28, of Canfield, was 216th overall in a time of 2 hours, 34 minutes, 33 seconds. He was 194th in the men’s race and 175th in the men’s 18-39 age group. He was the 2013 Ohio Division I state cross country champion for Boardman High School.

Warriors subdue East Liverpool

BELOIT — Camden Lane captured a three-set victory at third singles that lifted West Branch over East Liverpool, 3-2, Monday.

West Branch improves to 5-0, while East Liverpool drops to 1-3.

West Branch will play at Louisville today. East Liverpool will play a tri-match Wednesday at Steubenville with Steubenville Central.

FIRST SINGLES: Ayden Wright (EL) def. Evan Hancock, 6-3, 6-0.

SECOND SINGLES: Preston Dawson (EL) def. Zak Karlen, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

THIRD SINGLES: Camden Lane (WB) def. Brady Dawson, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.

FIRST DOUBLES: Riley Hendershott-Trey Thomas (WB) def. Lukas Harrington-Mark Antonio, 6-2, 6-3.

SECOND DOUBLES: Logan Crutchley-Wyatt Meisenheimer (WB) def. Nicholas Aldrich-Jacob Gibas, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

Bulldogs best United

SALEM — East Palestine topped United, 3-2, in tennis action Monday.

FIRST SINGLES: Adam Davis (EP) def. Zayden Haynes, 6-2, 6-3.

SECOND SINGLES: Morgan Schwartz (EP)def. Bella Kiewall, 6-0, 6-0.

THIRD SINGLES: Auri Cusick (U) def. Aron McGrath, 6-3, 6-2.

FIRST DOUBLES: Joe Kenneally-Jameson Kenneally (EP) def. Jacob Tucker-Matthew Logan, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).

SECOND DOUBLES: Lucy Stout-Abby Jones (U) def. Lia McTrusty-Brady Brubaker, 6-2, 6-4.

Salem sweeps Lordstown

LORDSTOWN –Salem’s tennis team turned in a 5-0 win over Lordstown on Monday.

FIRST SINGLES: Luke DeLand (S) def. Daniel Limbeck, 6-0, 6-0.

SECOND SINGLES: Gabe Gois (S) def. Jordan Rust, 6-0, 6-0

THIRD SINGLES: Salem wins by default

FIRST SINGLES: Ryen Crowe-Haden Tomidajewicz (S) def. Dani Lickwar-Lily Mazurkiewicz, 6-0, 6-0

SECOND DOUBLES: Salem wins by default

Pirates bested in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Harrison Bader drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for the second day in a row, hitting a two-run double off an angry Aroldis Chapman that lifted the New York Mets over the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Monday night.

New York overcame a 3-0, sixth-inning deficit and reached .500 for the first time this season. The Mets have won eight of 11 following an 0-5 start under first-year manager Carlos Mendoza.

Chapman (0-1) was ejected by plate umpire Edwin Moscoso for arguing balls and strikes after Bader’s double. The Mets stole three bases in the eighth against the Pirates, who have allowed 13 steals this season without throwing out a runner.

With the score 3-all, Jeff McNeil reached on a wild pitch as Chapman bounced a slider past catcher Henry Davis. DJ Stewart, whose pinch-hit double in the sixth tied the score, held up his swing for a walk on a full-count pitch.

McNeil and Stewart pulled off a double steal, and Bader lined a fastball into the left-field corner. His eighth-inning infield hit drove in the first run Sunday in a 2-1 win over Kansas City.

After Bader stole third, Brandon Nimmo grounded to second baseman Jared Triolo with the infield in, and Bader slid in ahead of Davis’ tag.

Davis made his 13th start this season at catcher for the Pirates following injuries to Endy Rodríguez (Tommy John surgery), Yasmani Grandal (plantar fasciitis in his left foot) and Jason Delay (right knee inflammation).

Penguins hanging on

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored his 42nd goal and added an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins preserved their playoff hopes with a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night.

Erik Karlsson also had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, and Reilly Smith and Emil Bemstrom also scored. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves while making his 12th straight start for Pittsburgh, which remains one point behind Washington and Detroit for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card.

Filip Forsberg scored his franchise-record 48th goal and Gustav Nyquist added his 23rd but playoff-bound Nashville let a chance to lock up the Western Conference’s top wild card get away. Juuse Saros stopped 34 shots but the Predators finished just shy of the seventh 100-point season in the franchise’s 25 seasons. Vegas can pass Nashville for the seventh seed in the West by winning its final two games against Chicago and Anaheim later this week.

The Predators put themselves in the postseason thanks to a 16-0-2 stretch from Feb. 17-March 26.