Chester out to 2-0 start

NEW MANCHESTER, W.Va. — Chester OldTimers baseball team improved to 2-0 with a 7-0 win over Youngstown on Sunday at Oak Glen High School.

Dave Smith led the way with a double and two singles. Doug Comm had a double.

Steve Nemec started and got the win with strong relief from Dave Smith.

Chester plays Poland at 2 p.m. Sunday at Poland High School.

Ohtani’s leadoff homer beats Guardians

CLEVELAND (AP) — There aren’t many times when you can say Shohei Ohtani is improving.

However, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is having a great May after not finding his power stroke until June 1 most seasons.

Ohtani has hit a leadoff homer in consecutive games for the second time in his career.

In Monday night’s 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians, the reigning National League MVP drove a low, inside fastball from Gavin Williams into the right-field stands for his major league-leading 19th homer of the season.

According to Major League Baseball, Ohtani is the fourth player in franchise history with at least 19 home runs in the Dodgers’ first 54 games, joining Cody Bellinger (19 in 2019), Roy Campanella (19 in 1955) and Gil Hodges (20 in 1951).

It was Ohtani’s fifth leadoff homer this season and 17th since arriving in the majors from Japan in 2018. It was the second time this year he went deep on the first pitch.

It was the third time Williams allowed a homer on the first pitch, tied with the Athletics’ Jeffrey Springs, Milwaukee’s Nestor Cortes and Boston’s Tanner Houck for the most this season.

“Shohei is always going to be aggressive early,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think it was more control over command. It was a high-velocity fastball. He was set up away and yanked it down and into his nitro zone.”

Ohtani also had leadoff homers in consecutive games June 25-26 last season against the Chicago White Sox.

The slugger leads the majors with 12 homers in May and is fifth in RBIs with 23. He was a .259 hitter in May from 2018 through ’24, but is batting .305 this month.

Roberts said before the game that Ohtani is likely to throw a bullpen on the team’s off day Thursday after facing hitters Sunday for the first time in his rehab program. Ohtani is recovering from surgery on his right elbow on Sept. 19, 2023.

“He did come out of yesterday feeling good,” Roberts said.

Key stat: Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games with a pair of doubles. He is batting .387 (29 for 75) with 12 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs during that span.

Pirates pitcher shines in major league debut

PHOENIX (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft pitched three scoreless innings in his major league debut on Monday.

Ashcraft, one of the team’s top prospects, was recalled before Pittsburgh’s 5-0 loss at Arizona. Right-hander Isaac Mattson was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

The 25-year-old Ashcraft entered after Andrew Heaney was tagged for five runs and eight hits in five innings. He fanned his first batter, Tim Tawa, for his first career strikeout.

He allowed two hits and walked one. He threw 50 pitches, 32 for strikes.

Ashcraft’s performance was a bright spot for a last-place Pittsburgh team that dropped to 7-17 in May. The Pirates finished with six hits in the opener of a six-game trip.

Ashcraft was selected by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2018 amateur draft. He was 3-3 with a 5.03 ERA in 10 starts for Indianapolis this season, striking out 56 in 48 1/3 innings.

Manager Don Kelly told reporters that Ashcraft would work out of the bullpen with the Pirates.

Mattson has no record and a 3.00 ERA in three games with Pittsburgh this year.

Columbiana seeks volleyball coach

COLUMBIANA — Columbiana is seeking a 7th grade volleyball coach. If interested, contact head varsity coach Jennifer Martin at (252) 269-3264 or jennifer.martin@columbianaschools.org.

Valley junior golf program

LISBON — Valley Golf Club’s annual junior program will start on June 3. Free golf clinics conducted by Jr. PGA Professional Ted Ossoff will be held at 8 and 9 a.m. No registration is needed. The clinics are for beginner junior golfers through high school. The nine-hole league is for experienced golfers only. There will be a four hole league for golfers that have little experience. Registration is $25 to join each league is $25. Weekly greens fees are $6.50 for nine holes and $5 for four holes. Call (330-482-9464 for more information.

Fundraiser for kids set

LEETONIA — The annual Leetonia SAL Needy Children’s Christmas Fundraiser will be held on June 7 at Valley Golf Club. Tee times start at 12:30 p.m. Entry fee is $40 per golfer which includes greens fees, riding cart, beverages and steak dinner. Call (330) 482-9464 to sign up.

Fever star out at least two weeks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will miss at least two weeks after straining her left quadriceps during Saturday’s 90-88 loss to the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty.

Coach Stephanie White told reporters Monday she wasn’t sure exactly when Clark was injured but was told after the game she had “something going on with her leg.” An MRI confirmed the diagnosis. Clark’s absence could wind up being a big blow for one of the league’s title favorites.

“Obviously, she wants to play and, obviously, everyone wants to see her play,” White said following Monday’s practice. “But for me, it’s about maintaining perspective. It’s making sure that we address this that doesn’t affect the long term, that we take care of it and don’t overpush, don’t overexert.”

Clark was not seen with her teammates at the end of practice and was not available for comment. Team officials said additional updates will be provided as circumstances warrant.

It’s the first time in Clark’s career she’s missed a game after playing in all 40 games and both playoff games last season and the first four games this year. She did miss Indiana’s first preseason game this year with a leg injury.

Last season’s WNBA rookie of the year finished with 18 points and 10 assists Saturday but lost the ball on Indiana’s final possession as she tried to take a 3-pointer.