Potters aim for repeat

EAST PALESTINE — The East Liverpool boys track team will be in the running for a third straight team title at the 40th Bulldog Invitational on Saturday.

The meet will start at 10 a.m. Saturday at Reid Stadium with the boys discus and high jump and girls shot put and long jump along with the semifinals in the running events.

Thirteen teams are scheduled to compete including host East Palestine, Beaver Local, Brookfield, Columbiana, Crestwood, East Liverpool, Lakeview, Lisbon, Oak Glen (W.Va.), Rootstown, Southern Local, Toronto and United.

Canton hosts Eagle Elite

CANTON — Salem, United and Heartland Christian are sending some of their top athletes to be tested at the the Second Sole Eagle Elite Track and Field Invitational on Saturday.

The meet at Canton GlenOak’s Commings Field attracts the top athletes in Northeast Ohio.

The 3200-meter run B final will open action at 9 a.m. Saturday along with the field events. The 3200-meter relay finals will start at 10:30 a.m. followed by the rest of the running events, which will be timed finals.

One division for Mahoning

AUSTINTOWN –There will be a change for the 110th annual Mahoning County Track and Field Meet on Saturday.

All 19 schools will compete in one division after previously being scored in two divisions.

Action starts at 9 a.m. Saturday at Austintown Fitch High School with the boys discus and long jump, girls shot put and high jump, the boys and girls pole vault and the 3200-meter relay finals. The rest of the running events will start at 10 a.m.

Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate.

Mercer leads Mount Union

WILMINGTON — Mount Union junior Sydney Mercer had two game-winning hits as the Purple Raiders swept Wilmington in an Ohio Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Friday afternoon, taking game one 4-2 in eight innings and winning game two 6-3 in 11 innings.

Mercer led the Purple Raiders with five hits, three RBIs and three runs on the day.

Mercer hit a two-run single in the top of the eighth inning to give the Purple Raiders a 4-2 win in the opener.

The Purple Raiders broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning when senior Tori Sickafoose (Sandy Valley) hit an RBI single down the left field line for a 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning Mount Union freshman Allison Jones (Western Reserve) hit an inside-the-park home run to record her first collegiate home run and extend the lead to 2-0.

In the second game, Mercer went 3-for-6 with a triple, two doubles and three runs scored.

Jones led off the 11th inning with a single and came home on Mercer’s triple, giving the Purple Raiders a 4-3 lead.

The Purple Raiders (18-10, 7-3 Ohio Athletic Conference) will host John Carroll in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Cavaliers host the Heat

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers open the NBA playoffs by hosting the Miami Heat on Sunday night. That’s a big deal.

For the fourth time in the last five regular seasons, the NBA home winning percentage was 54%.

It’s almost eerie how consistent that number has been.

Over the last five seasons, the home winning percentages were .544 in 2020-21, .544 in 2021-22, .580 in 2022-23, .543 last season and .544 this season.