May 9, 2021 5 min read

Tortorella won’t return

John Tortorella is out as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets after six seasons.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement Sunday that parting ways with the winningest coach in franchise history was a mutual decision.

The 62-year-old Tortorella was in the last year of his contract, and the separation wasn’t a surprise after a tumultuous season that saw the Blue Jackets plunge to last place in their division amid the coach’s admitted failure to influence the team culture.

“Torts and I have had numerous conversations throughout the season, and we have agreed that the time is right for both he and the club to go our separate ways,” Kekalainen said a day after the Blue Jackets concluded the season with a 5-4 overtime win against Detroit. “He is a great coach and his accomplishments with our club over the past six seasons speak for themselves.”

The Blue Jackets went 227-166-54 under Tortorella, including a franchise-best 50-24-8 finish in 2016-17. But the wheels fell off during a terrible 2020-21 season (18-26-12).

Tocchet out as Arizona coach

Coach Rick Tocchet won’t return for a fifth season with the Arizona Coyotes, the team announced Sunday, saying the sides “mutually agreed to part ways.”

The move comes after the Coyotes missed the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons.

“After meeting with Rick, we have agreed that a coaching change is in the best interest of the club,” general manager Bill Armstrong said in a statement.

“This was a very difficult decision, but we believe that it is time for a new direction and new leadership. Rick is a very good coach and an incredible person, and we sincerely appreciate all his hard work and dedication to the Coyotes the past four years.”

Tocchet, who played 18 NHL seasons and previously coached at Tampa Bay, went 125-131-34 at Arizona.

In college golf

California University of Pennsylvania freshman Tyler Kipp shot a seven-over 79 in the third round on Saturday to finish tied for 54th overall at the NCAA Atlantic/East Region Championships.

Kipp improved his score each round at the event and finished with a 25-over 241 (82-80-79). On Saturday, he opened play on the back nine and made the turn at three-over following a birdie on the 540-yard, par-five 17th. Kipp then played the last nine holes of the event at four-over. Over the three rounds, Kipp fired three birdies and 28 pars at the Lake View Country Club.

In college lacrosse

Top-seeded Grove City College claimed a 19-6 victory over No. 3 Westminster College in the title game of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament Saturday night at Robert E. Thorn Field in Grove City.

In college softball

Top-seeded Geneva College won its second Presidents’ Athletic Conference Softball Championship Tournament title Saturday afternoon with a 4-2 victory over No. 3 Bethany College.

In college baseball

The No. 4 ranked Washington & Jefferson College baseball team used a pair of strong pitching performances to earn a road sweep at Saint Vincent in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday. W&J took game one by an 8-3 score before battling for a 2-1 victory in game two.

The sweep improves W&J to 25-1 in PAC play and 33-1 overall in 2021. Saint Vincent falls to 14-16 overall and 13-12 in league play.

Henry Litman tossed a complete game to lead W&J to the game one victory. The junior right-hander has an 8-0 record in 2021. Litman allowed just one earned run in 7.0 innings . He struck out seven, walked just one and allowed just four hits.

Tyler Horvat and four relievers combined to limit the Bearcats to just three hits over nine innings during a 2-1 W&J win in game two. Horvat allowed just one unearned run on one hit in 5.0 innings. The sophomore struck out eight to as he improved his record to 8-0 in 2021.

• The Waynesburg University baseball team celebrated senior day on Saturday by hosting Franciscan for a Presidents’ Athletic Conference doubleheader. The Barons swept the Yellow Jackets by the final scores of 8-0 and 8-1.

Franciscan (16-17, 15-11) and the Jackets (12-20, 9-17) played through a pair of scoreless innings, before the visitors tallied the eventual game-winning run in the top of the third. The Barons added a score in the fourth and another in the fifth to expand their advantage to 3-0. Franciscan blew the game open with five runs in the top of the seventh to seal the victory.

Two of the day’s senior honorees, outfielder Ryan Mills and designated hitter Chris Lee combined for three of Waynesburg’s four base hits in the early game. Mills went two-for-four to pace the Jacket attack.

In college track

he Shippensburg University Raiders earned the 2021 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship Saturday from Seth Grove Stadium in Shippensburg. The Raiders earned 131 total points, while Slippery Rock University finished behind them with 94.5 points.

Lacrosse

Peters Township defeated Latrobe 15-5 in Saturday girls lacrosse action..

Delaney Kern had 4 goals and 1 assist and Karson Martin scored 4 goals for PT. Abby Neupaver had 3 goals and an assist and Sarah Rubican contriibuted 3 goals.

Scoring one goal each for Latrobe was Ryley Quinn, Abby Kostic, Kloe Templeton, Taylor Desko, and Carolina Walters.