The Pat Shurmur era as Coach of the Cleveland Browns began on a successful note as the Browns defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-17 in the pre-season opener for both teams at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Browns quarterback Colt McCoy showed off his knowledge of the West Coast Offense in leading the first team offense to two touchdowns.
McCoy led the Browns down the field on their first possession. McCoy mixed in runs by Peyton Hillis and passes to Josh Cribbs, Greg Little and Brian Robiskie. On a first-and-10 from the 27, McCoy found Josh Cribbs streaking down the right sideline. Cribbs leaped over the Packer defender and came down with the ball for the touchdown. Phil Dawson’s extra point gave the Browns a 7-0 lead.
Packer quarterback Aaron Rogers worked only two series in the first quarter. His first series was a three and out. The second series resulted in a Packer touchdown. In a seven-play, 71-yard drive,
After an exchange of punts, McCoy had the Browns offense humming again. Two completions by McCoy to tight end Benjamin Watson covering 19 and 37 yards set the Browns up on the three-yard line. Peyton Hillis got the ball and went off right tackle and into the end zone.
Shurmur thought McCoy was on his game in the first half. “I thought he was pretty sharp. He executed well. He worked us down the field twice. That’s the mark of a quarterback.”
McCoy’s numbers on the night were impressive, 9 of 10 for 135 yards and one touchdown.
The Packers closed out the second quarter by scoring on their next two possessions on a field goal by Mason Crosby and a three-yard touchdown pass from Matt Flynn to Spencer Havner.
At halftime, the Packers held a 17-14 lead.
The Browns came out of the locker room for the third quarter ready to play. Back-up quarterback Seneca Wallace led the Browns on an 11-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a 46-yard field goal by back-up kicker Jeff Wolfert to tie the game at 17.
On the next Packer possession, Packer third-string Graham Harrell was sacked by Browns linebacker Brian Smith. The hit caused the ball to come lose. Linebacker Titus Brown picked it up and rumbled 37 yards for a touchdown. Wolfert’s point after gave the Browns a 24-17 lead.
The fourth quarter had both coaches looking at their third-and-fourth string players. The only scoring was a field goal by the Browns from 44 yards out by Wolfert.
The next action for the Browns will be on Friday night August 19th when
SCOREBOARD”
GREEN BAY – 7 – 10 – 0 – 0 = 17
First Quarter
CLEVE – Josh Cribbs 27 pass from Colt McCoy (Phil Dawson Kick) 8:41
GREEN – Greg Jennings 21 pass from Aaron Rogers (Mason Crosby Kick) 4-38
Second Quarter
CLEVE – Peyton Hillis 3 run (Dawson Kick) 13:46
GREEN – Mason Crosby 31 Field Goal 6:18
GREEN – Spencer Havner 3 pass from Matt Flynn (
Third Quarter
CLEVE – Jeff Wolfert 46 Field Goal 10:09
CLEVE - Titus Brown 37 fumble recovery 7:00
Fourth Quarter
CLEVE – Wolfert 44 Field Goal 1:52
ATTENDANCE: 57,077
The Akron Aeros scored 13 runs on just nine hits as they won the rubber match of a three-game series against the Portland Sea Dogs 13-5 Thursday at Hadlock Field.
Left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland recorded the win for Akron pitching 5.1 innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on 11 hits, walking four and striking out three.
Right-handed pitcher Chris Balcom-Miller suffered the loss for Portland lasting five innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits and striking out eight while walking two.
Raul Padron gave the Aeros a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single.
It remained that way until the bottom of the third inning. Ryan Khoury led off with a single and advanced to third when Alex Hassan reached on a Cristo Arnal fielding error. With one out, Will Middlebrooks singled Khoury home to tie the game 1-1. With two outs, Ronald Bermudez rapped an RBI single to give the Sea Dogs (49-68) a 2-1 lead. Oscar Tejeda followed with an RBI double to make it 3-1.
The Aeros (62-56) retook the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Chun Chen and Raul Padron opened the frame with back-to-back walks and Michel Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. John Drennen followed with a two-RBI double to tie the game 3-3. Kyle Bellows singled home Hernandez and Drennen to give the Aeros a 5-3 lead.
With the lead trimmed to 5-4 in the top of the sixth inning, Drennen hit a three-run home run to center field to make it 8-4.
Akron scored five more runs in the top of the seventh inning and went on to the win.
The Aeros will travel to New Hampshire to begin a three-game series against the Fisher Cats on Friday. Akron will give the ball to right-handed pitcher Steve Wright, who is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 2011. He will face fellow right-hander Nestor Molina, who makes his first start with the Fisher Cats this season. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
When Kristina Thorson has been handed the ball this season, she has delivered for her new team.
With the Racers (20-17) clinging to second place over the Chicago Bandits, Thorson (9-3) continued to display her consistency, helping the Racers prevail 4-2 and remain ahead of Chicago for the second seed in the NPF standings.
Thorson tossed a complete game, allowing five hits, two unearned runs and striking out eight Diamonds.
“I felt good, relaxed the entire game,” Thorson said. “The whole team played well tonight.
“We were scoring, but most of our runs were consecutive hits and our defense played well.”
Thorson played previously with the Bandits and now finds herself and her teammates battling them for the second spot in the NPF playoff seeding. This series is just another step to achieving their goal of winning a championship.
“It gives us home field advantage the first game, and it’s nice to beat up on the Bandits because when I was there we always beat up on the Racers, so it does matter to us [to get the second seed].
“I was really excited, I never heard a bad thing about the organization, so I was really excited for the opportunity to come over here and play. It’s just a great place to play -- I love it here.”
The Racers struck first blood in the bottom of the first to give Thorson an early lead. Sharonda McDonald hit a line-drive single up the middle over pitcher Danielle Spaulding’s (2-6) glove. McDonald swiped second during Nicole Trimboli’s at-bat and advanced to third on Trimboli’s fly out to center. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Megan Bush grounded out to the second baseman Kristin Schnake to score McDonald and make it 1-0 Racers.
Akron would get its second run off the bat of Sam Marder, who crushed her team-leading seventh home run on the season over the left center field fence with two outs in the bottom of the third.
The Racers added a third run in the bottom of the fourth following a Kelley Montalvo double to left that plated Taylor Schlopy, who previously beat out a slow grounder to second.
Marder came through with another hit in the fifth inning after center fielder Jessica Bachkora’s throwing error allowed Trimboli to score.
The Diamonds would get two runs on the board that was ignited by a dropped ball in right by McDonald. The threat ended after Thorson got Kristin Schnake to pop out to short. The Racers and Diamonds will play the second game of this final series Friday night at 7:05 p.m. at Firestone Stadium.
Akron Police say a woman is dead and two others were wounded in a shooting that took place at the Spring Hill Apartment Complex, located at 1221 Everton, off Vernon Odom Boulevard. The incident supposedly took place in a 5th floor apartment and in the hallway.
Akron Police officials say they began receiving 9-1-1 calls around 1:40 this morning from residents saying that they heard gunfire.
The Summit County Medical Examiner's office has identified the dead woman as 18 year-old Brielle Robins of Madison Avenue in Akron.
Two men were wounded in the shooting. Police say 20-year old Jamir Harrison of Everton Drive was treated and released from a local hospital. 27- year old Willie White of Oberlin Street in Akron is listed in serious condition at a local hospital.
Akron Police Lieutenant Rick Edwards says detectives believe a fight in the apartment building may have led to the shooting. Police says they have identified those involved in the incident, but have not made any arrests.
ANN's Mike Ward contributed to this report.
Cuyahoga County Judge Dick Ambrose has sentenced 51-year old Anthony Sowell to death for killing 11 women and dumping their remains around his Imperial Avenue home in Cleveland.
Jurors on Wednesday recommended the death penalty for Sowell. Judge Ambrose had two options: execution by lethal injection or reducing the recommended sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Sowell was arrested on Halloween 2009, two days after police went to his house on a sexual-assault complaint and began finding bodies.
The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has activated OF SHIN-SOO CHOO from the 15-day Disabled List. To allow room on the 25-man roster for Choo the Indians designated OF AUSTIN KEARNS for assignment.
Choo has been on the disabled list since June 25 after suffering a fractured left thumb after being hit by a pitch the night before at San Francisco. He underwent surgery on the thumb on June 28 in Cleveland by Dr. Thomas Graham. So far in 2011 Choo is hitting .244 (65-266) with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 28 RBI and 11 steals in 72 games. Over his last 9 games prior to the injury he was hitting at a .357 (10-28) clip. He played in 3 games at Lake County (2 officially w/a rain out) beginning on Monday, August 8.
Kearns hit .200 (30-150) in 57 games for the Indians this year after signing a one-year free agent contract with the club in the off-season.
Miami Heat star LeBron James remains confident there will be an NBA season in 2011-20012.
Speaking Friday to reporters in Taiwan, James said ``right now I am working toward the NBA season, I believe there will be a season,
and hopefully both sides can come together.''
Players have been locked out since July 1 since the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. The sides are split over issues including distribution of
revenues. Last week, players' union chief Billy Hunter said he was doubtful about the 2011-12 season going ahead.
James is on a two-day promotional tour of Taiwan.
Early this morning, the Akron Fire Department was called to the scene of a house fire in the 18-hundred block of South Main Street, between Youtz (Youths) and Catawba. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not been determined. A damage estimate is not available.
The Akron Police Department have been busy this morning. APD began receiving 9-1-1 calls at 1:40 this morning of a shooting at the Spring Hill Apartment Complex, located at 1221 Everton. The complex is located near Vernon Odom Boulevard.
According to NewsChannel 5, the incident took place in a 5th floor apartment and in the hallway. The Summit County Medical Examiners Office reports a woman who was attending a party at the Apartment Building is dead. Two others were wounded. Those two injured people were transported to area hospitals.
The name of the women who diied in the incident is being withheld pending a positive identification and notification of the next of kin.
Akron Police Detectives have been busy trying to process each shootig scene, collecting evidence and questionning witnesses at Police Headquarters.
The University of Illinois has named Mike Thomas as their new Athletic Director.
Fans of the University of Akron know the name of Mike Thomas very well. Thomas spent five years as Athletic Director for the Zips between 2000 and 2005.
Then, Thomas took the job as the Athletic Director at the University of Cincinnati. He held that job until Wednesday, when he moved to Illinois.
Before coming to the University of Akron, Thomas spent seven years as associate athletic director of the University of Virginia.
Thomas received a number of honors while leading the Zips Athletic program. In 2005, Thomas received the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletics Director. He received the Award again in 2008 at the University of Cincinnati.
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