Category: Saturday Sports Slam

Beaver County Radio Pirates Treasure Chest to make it’s debut Monday April 1, 2019.

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Beaver County Radio will debut it’s brand new Pittsburgh Pirates Treasure Chest on Monday April 1, 2019 at Al’s Corner in Koppel from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m..

Stop out and join Frank Sparks, Host of Teleforum, Matt Drzik, Host of A.M. Beaver County and co-host of the Saturday Sports Slam, and Greg Benedetti, co-host of the Saturday Sports Slam and talk Pirates Baseball as the guys host their annual tailgate party on the road this year in honor of the Pirates home opener Monday afternoon.

Listen for clues on the air and Facebook  during the broadcast on how you can can get your chance to open the treasure chest and pick prize. You never know what treasures are in the chest. You could win  Pirates memorabilia, gift cards to different businesses, or maybe even some Pirates Tickets.

The Treasure Chest will be making appearances all season long at sponsor businesses in the area. If you would like to get a copy of the Treasure Chest Map click on the chest logo below………

Trevor Williams pitches sixth scoreless in leading the Bucs to a 5-0 victory over the Reds

Williams leads Pirates past Reds 5-0
CINCINNATI (AP) — Trevor Williams pitched six effective innings and drove in two runs, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the sloppy Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Sunday.
Williams picked up where he left off last season, when he was the only major leaguer to make 10 starts of at least six innings without allowing a run. The right-hander gave up three hits, struck out six and walked one.
The Reds put runners on the corners with two out in the sixth, but Williams struck out Yasiel Puig to end the inning. Puig is 0 for 7 with four strikeouts and a walk in two games after he was acquired in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Puig also misjudged Francisco Cervelli’s fly ball to right in the ninth inning, but recovered in time to make a diving catch.

Harper homers, hears “MVP!” chants as Phillies beat Braves

Harper homers, hears “MVP!” chants as Phillies beat Braves
By AARON BRACY Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Hitless in five at-bats to open his anticipated first series with the Philadelphia Phillies, Bryce Harper grabbed teammate Nick Williams’ bat looking for a spark.
One big swing of the borrowed lumber later, Harper was on the top step of the dugout, roaring back at the fans chanting “MVP! MVP!” for their $330 million man.
Harper homered deep into the second deck in right-center field for his first hit with Philadelphia and celebrated with an emphatic curtain call, highlighting the Phillies’ 8-6 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Harper, swinging Williams’ stick after a slow start to the season, crushed Jesse Biddle’s fastball 465 feet with two outs in the seventh. Fans gave Harper a standing ovation, hollering and clapping in a fashion rare for March baseball.
After getting high fives in the dugout, Harper climbed out for a curtain call, throwing both fists in the air and shouting “Let’s go!”
“It was a really cool moment,” Harper said. “The fan base, the stadium, the electricity we have in this place, it all came together.”
Maikel Franco and J.T. Realmuto went deep for Philadelphia, which also launched three homers in Thursday’s season-opening 10-4 win over the Braves.
“Offense definitely created some electricity in the ballpark, and I think that’s going to be our defining characteristic,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.
Harper — wearing bright blue cleats instead of the gaudy, green Phanatic spikes he sported on opening day — unfurled the powerful left-handed swing that has Citizens Bank Park rocking like it was 2008, the last time the franchise won the World Series.
Prior to his homer, a hitless Harper was just like the rest of the red-clad fans — cheerleading the other Phillies hitters.
Harper greeted Franco after his homer with an elaborate celebration outside of the dugout, the two of them mock shooting a bow-and-arrow. They did the same jocular celebration when Harper went deep.
Harper already has unique celebrations with many of his teammates. He simulated a basketball layup with outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Odubel Herrera after both wins. On Thursday, Harper was the basket. On Saturday, he mock dunked into the arms of Herrera.
“We have a great group of guys, a lot of energy,” Harper said. “(The celebrating) just adds to the fun.”
Besides power at the plate — not to mention the box office and merchandise shop — Harper has brought much-needed energy to the Phillies, who are hoping to end a seven-year postseason drought.
The club’s start hasn’t disappointed in the least.
Adam Morgan (1-0) faced one batter in the fifth inning.
Dansby Swanson and Charlie Culberson homered, and Freddie Freeman had four hits and drove in two for the Braves.
The game was tied at 4 in the fifth when Realmuto lined a two-run homer to left-center off Wes Parsons (0-1).
Franco hit a two-run shot off the foul pole in the fourth. He’s the sixth player in franchise history to homer in each of the team’s first two games, joining Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Chuck Klein, plus Howard, Scott Rolen and Danny Litwhiler.
Phillies starter Nick Pivetta allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Atlanta’s Bryse Wilson, a 20-year-old rookie making his second career start, gave up four runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings.
“We’re just having a hard time keeping them in the ballpark,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s a very explosive offense. … We’re just going to have to keep fighting, come out and get one tomorrow.”
TENNESSEE TRADE
Harper’s home run ball was collected by two Braves fans from Tennessee, he said. The slugger, who received the ball postgame in a yellow envelope from a Phillies official, will send the fans a bat and ball as thanks.
SNEAKER CREATURE
The Phillie Phanatic returned the favor after Harper honored the fuzzy, green mascot on opening day. The Phanatic’s oversized sneakers featured images of Harper’s face on the toe.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Atlanta: Ender Inciarte fouled a ball hard off his right foot in the seventh inning but was OK.
Philadelphia: Right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter (right flexor strain) felt soreness while rehabbing in Florida on Thursday. His anticipated mid-April return likely will be pushed back as a result.
UP NEXT
The teams wrap up the three-game series Sunday night with Philadelphia RHP Jake Arrieta opposing Braves rookie RHP Kyle Wright.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Pirates vs. Reds game, Saturday March 30, 2019 washed out due to rain

This afternoon’s PIT @ CIN game (Saturday, March 30th) has been postponed. It will be made up as a split doubleheader on Monday, May 27th as follows

Game 1 – 1:10pm ET (the game was originally scheduled at 2:10pm ET on May 27th and has been moved to 1:10pm ET to accommodate the split DH)  Airtime is 12:45

Game 2 – 7:10pm ET (rescheduled game)  Airtime is 6:45 Beaver County Radio

AUDIO: Whitehall Junior Golf Phenom Michael Quallich Talks Acheivements On Sports Slam

With the grass becoming greener, men and women of all ages will be hitting the links across America. One particular golfer, 9-year-old Michael Quallich of Whitehall, is an up-and-coming star who will be competing in the PGA Drive, Chip & Putt Championship at Augusta on April 7. He joined Matt Drzik & Greg Benedetti on the Saturday Sports Slam on March 30 to talk about his feelings about going to Augusta, the amount of practice he puts into each week, and how he got into the sport in the first place.

If you’d like to hear the interview, click below!

Part 1

Part 2

 

[Photo Courtesy: Quallich Family & Schuyler Easterling]

Keselowski routs field to earn win at Martinsville Speedway

Keselowski routs field to earn win at Martinsville Speedway
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Brad Keselowski gave Team Penske and the new Ford Mustang its third Cup victory through the first six races of the season by routing the field at Martinsville Speedway.
Keselowski led 446 of the 500 laps around the shortest track on the NASCAR schedule and was only challenged a handful of times by Chase Elliott — the only driver to pass Keselowski on the track Sunday.
Although Elliott led 49 laps, a late caution sent the field to pit road and Keselowski beat Elliott back to the track. Elliott could never get close enough to challenge Keselowski for the win again.
“The car was really good. Just a great day for a team,” Keselowski said. “Just one of those days you dream of as a race car driver, where you’ve got a great car.”
The 446 laps led is the most for a winning driver since Kyle Petty led 484 to win at Rockingham in 1992. It was the most laps Keselowski has ever led in a single race, passing the mark of 312 laps out front at Texas Motor Speedway in 2015.
He credited the offseason work by Ford, which rolled out a new Cup car at the start of the season, and the Team Penske pit stops that got him off pit road first every time he came in for service.
“Ford worked really hard in the offseason to build these cars and make them real strong and so far, so good,” said Keselowski. “It’s just a great day for our team, awesome execution on pit road. Those guys work really hard.”
Ford has three wins this season, all from Team Penske, while Toyota won the other three races.
Martinsville, a paperclip-shaped track at 0.526 miles, typically forces drivers to gouge each other out of the way. The tight confines of the tiny Virginia track raises the aggravation levels for most of the field and usually leads to bumping, banging and busted-up race cars. But NASCAR’s new rules package, in its first stop at a short track, seemed to hamper drivers’ ability to close on the leader and it limited passing opportunities.
The one time Elliott did pass Keselowski, he studied Elliott’s lines and took notes for when he was back out front.
“He was certainly faster on that short run, and when he passed me I learned just enough,” Keselowski said. “The pit crew got me back in front of him on the next to last pit stop, and I seemed to kind of apply the lessons.”
Keselowski started the race third behind teammate Joey Logano, who led the first five laps of the race. Keselowski briefly nudged Logano out of the groove on the sixth lap and took off for the rout that earned him his second Martinsville grandfather clock.
Elliott finished second in a Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports — the first top-five finish for a Hendrick driver this season.
“I felt like we were about as even with him as we could be,” said Elliott, who second-guessed the timing of one of his attempts to pass Keselowski.
“When he did get the lead, there was a little advantage to being out front, being able to work traffic … I tried to move up there at the end, and I don’t know if I could have got to him. Maybe if I moved up a little sooner, maybe next time.”
Kyle Busch was third in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch had won two consecutive Cup races before Sunday, the Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville, and was seeking a weekend sweep. Busch notched his fifth top-five finish of the season while making his 1,000th career NASCAR national series start.
“We fought hard for today’s finish, not a finish that we wanted to get,” Busch said. “Thought we had a chance to win actually, but could have been a whole lot worse. We’ll go on.”
Penske driver Ryan Blaney was fourth, while Gibbs driver and five-time Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin was fifth.
Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer were sixth and seventh, Gibbs driver Martin Truex Jr. was eighth, then SHR drivers Aric Almirola and Daniel Suarez completed the top 10.
Ford drivers took six spots in the top 10, while Gibbs and Toyota claimed three of the slots.
JOHNSON SLUMPS
Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with nine victories at Martinsville, but his struggles spanning more than a year continued Sunday. He was lapped during the second stage and finished 24th. Since winning the fall 2016 race, Johnson has not finished higher than 12th.
NO REPEAT WINNER
Clint Bowyer was the defending race winner and worked his way to fifth as he exited pit road from a pit stop in the third stage. But he was penalized for speeding onto pit road and dropped to the back of the pack on the restart.
“Well, there went that,” he moaned over his radio.
Bowyer was flagged for speeding on the next round of pit stops, too, and finished sixth.
UP NEXT
NASCAR goes to Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Kyle Busch won the race last April.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announce

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announces retirement
By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer
BOSTON (AP) — The New England Patriots’ gentle giant has decided to hang up his cleats.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said Sunday that he is retiring from the NFL after nine seasons.
Gronkowski announced his decision via a post on Instagram , saying that a few months shy of his 30th birthday “it’s time to move forward and move forward with a big smile.”
“It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far,” Gronkowski wrote in his post. “I will be retiring from the game of football today.”
Drew Rosenhaus, Gronkowski’s agent, confirmed his client’s decision to retire.
The tight end, who turns 30 in May, leaves as a three-time Super Bowl champion who established himself as one of the most dominant players at his position.
But he has been dogged in recent seasons by back, knee, ankle and arm injuries that have limited his ability to stay on the field.
It led him to hint at retirement following New England’s Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to end the 2017 season and again last month after the Patriots’ Super Bowl win over the Los Angeles Rams.
In his Instagram post, Gronkowski thanked the Patriots organization, coach Bill Belichick and New England’s fans for their support during his nine NFL seasons.
“Thank you for everyone accepting who I am and the dedication I have put into my work to be the best player I could be,” Gronkowski wrote.
Gronkowski’s teammates almost immediately began to flood social media with well-wishes.
“Love you man!!” quarterback Tom Brady wrote on Instagram, along with an emoji of a goat to refer to Gronkowski as the greatest of all-time. “Couldn’t be a better person or teammate!!!!”
It was a sentiment shared by receiver Julian Edelman.
“The other goat,” Edelman posted on his Instagram page.
Though he won’t have the longevity of some of his contemporaries at tight end, Gronkowski is expected to get strong consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when eligible.
Gronkowski was one of Brady’s favorite targets after being drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft.
He had his fourth career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2017 and was an All-Pro for the fourth time that season.
But at times he looked like a shell of himself during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run this past season. Gronkowski finished the 2018 regular season with just 47 catches for 682 yards and three touchdowns.
He had one of his best games of the season in the Patriots’ Super Bowl win over the Rams, hauling in six catches for 87 yards, including two receptions on New England’s only touchdown drive during their 13-3 victory.
A fan favorite in New England for his gregarious and playful persona that included awkward dance moves and touchdown celebrations, Gronkowski was one of the most dominant tight ends of his era.
His 12 career postseason touchdown receptions are the most by a tight end in NFL playoff history. His 81 career postseason catches are also best among tight ends.
He’ll also retire with 79 career TD catches — regular season and playoffs — which is third all-time by a tight end behind only Antonio Gates (116) and Tony Gonzalez (111).
Brady and Gronkowski connected on 78 TD passes. It is the second-most scoring connections between a quarterback and a tight end in NFL history behind only Philip Rivers and Gates (89) and is fifth overall between quarterbacks and all pass-catchers.
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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Scoring Updates: Pens vs. Stars, Saturday March 23, 2019 at 8 p.m..

 

[table id=56 /]

CCBC Players Of The Game: March 23, 2019

CCBC Players of the Game:

Trinity: Chance Westry

Lincoln Park: Isaiah Smith

Lincoln Park Holds On To Win 3A Boys Basketball Championship!

 

Trinity made it uneasy for Lincoln Park in the final four minutes. Of course they did.

As Tom Hays said during the broadcast,”If it was so easy, everyone would be state champions!”

But it isn’t. And only one team emerges as the 3A Boys Champions in 2018-19, and it is the Lincoln Park Leopards.

The Leopards earn their second set of gold medals despite nearly blowing a 16-point lead in the 4th quarter to District 3 Champion Trinity, surviving 73-72 at the GIANT Center in Hershey. Shamrocks freshman guard Chance Westry led all scorers with 40 points, and had a chance to make it 43 with 1.2 seconds left…but he missed it, and Lincoln Park was able to hold off the late fury. The Leopards were led by Isaiah Smith who had 20 points, including five 3-pointers. Westry & Smith were named the final CCBC Players of the Game for our broadcast season.

[table id=55 /]

Tom Hays has the full scoring recap for Beaver County Radio: