Top lineman picks BC

Kaleb Ramsey, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior at Laurel Highlands High School and one of the top defensive linemen in the WPIAL, has made a verbal commitment to Boston College.

Ramsey chose Boston College over Pitt and Georgia Tech.

"Boston College never crossed my mind when this [recruiting] all started," Ramsey said. "Then one of their coaches came to our school. I made a visit up there [in early July] and realized what a nice place it was. ... It's the tops in academics, I love the campus and I'll have the opportunity to play big-time football in the [Atlantic Coast Conference]."

Ramsey is a talented two-sport athlete, averaging 20 points a game in basketball last season.

Basketball

The Penn State women's team announced its 2007-08 schedule. The Lady Lions will play a 16-game home schedule and an 18-game Big Ten Conference slate. They will play every Big Ten team twice with the exception of Purdue (home) and Indiana (away)

Penn State opens the season Nov. 9-11 in the WBCA/Basketball Travelers Classic at the Bryce Jordan Center. Pitt, Charlotte and Arizona are the other participants in the three-day, round-robin event. Penn State and Pitt will cap the tournament on the final day.

The Lady Lions' non-conference schedule also includes a home game against highly regarded Duke Dec. 2 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Former Duquesne Dukes guard Loui Hall of Albert Gallatin High School signed with Team Northumbria of the English Basketball League.

Victor Mariscal scored 30 points, 22 in the first half, leading coach Nolan Richardson, who won an NCAA title at Arkansas, and Mexico to a 100-89 victory against Puerto Rico in the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas.

Baseball

Payton Purvis drove in two runs as Warner Robins, Ga., beat Walpole, Mass., 8-1, at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa. Georgia (2-1) clinched a berth in the U.S. semifinals. Its opponent will be Chandler, Ariz., which defeated Coon Rapids, Minn., 9-2. The other U.S. semifinal will feature unbeaten Lubbock, Texas, against Lake Oswego, Ore.

In the international bracket, Mexicali, Mexico, lost both ends of a day-night doubleheader, 4-2 to Taichung, Taiwan and 11-1 to Maracaibo, Venezuela. Also, Willemstad Curacao, defeated White Rock, British Columbia, 6-2. Japan will face Taiwan in one international semifinal, with Venezuela vs. Curacao in the other matchup.

Matt Sutton drove in the tying and go-ahead runs and Mario Garza hit a homer and had three RBIs as the host Washington Wild Things defeated the River City Rascals, 8-3, in the Frontier League.

Soccer

David Beckham's sore left ankle held up enough for him to make his 97th international appearance, but his presence wasn't enough to keep England from losing, 2-1, to Germany in an exhibition game in Wembley, England.

Kim Kallstrom scored in the 56th minute to lead Sweden past the United States, 1-0, in an exhibition game at Goteborg, Sweden, and send the Americans to their first four-game losing streak in a decade.

Auto racing

Johnny Benson postponed a pit stop and then held off Brendan Gaughan to win the NASCAR Trucks Series O'Reilly 200 in Bristol, Tenn.

Horse racing

Street Sense, the Kentucky Derby winner, was made the 3-5 favorite for the $1 million Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Saturday.

Media

Ryan Burr, formerly of FSN Pittsburgh and now with ESPNews, was mentioned as a possible replacement for John Steigerwald at KDKA-TV. Burr, a Baldwin native, was emphatic in denying he is not interested.

"I love my job at ESPN," he said. "I am not interested in the opening at KDKA."

Elsewhere

Casino giant Harrah's Entertainment Inc. announced that it will partner with AEG to build a 20,000-seat, $500 million arena in Las Vegas capable of housing an NBA and/or NHL team.