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Wednesday’s regional sports roundup: Indians call up Poquoson’s Crockett; Lafayette grad Lipcius, of Tennessee, joins W&M, ODU players as Freshman All-Americans

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PRO BASEBALL:

The Cleveland Indians called up former Poquoson High and Virginia Cavaliers left-hander Kyle Crockett to their bullpen.

He earned his first promotion of the season after excelling with Triple-A Columbus. Crockett has a 1.85 earned-run average and a 1-0 record this season in 24 1/3 innings during 21 games with the International League’s Clippers.

This will be the fourth consecutive year in which Crockett has been in the majors and the minors. He has a career 4-1 record and 3.25 ERA in 103 major-league games with the Indians, spanning 63 2/3 innings. He often has been used against left-handed hitters by manager Terry Francona.

COLLEGES:

Baseball:

Tennessee first baseman Andre Lipcius, a Lafayette High graduate who hit .275 with 26 RBI and nine stolen bases, was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball News.

Also gaining that honor were William and Mary outfielder Brandon Raquet and Old Dominion outfielder Kyle Battle, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and pitcher John Wilson, James Madison pitcher Kevin Kelly, JMU designated hitter Fox Semones and VCU second baseman Paul Witt.

Track and field:

Virginia shot putter Filip Mihaljevic won his second consecutive NCAA championships title, thanks to a personal-record put of 21.30 meters (69 feet, 10.75 inches) in Eugene, Ore.

The Cavaliers’ men’s team concluded the first day with 20 points, tying last year’s team score for the highest point total in program history at the NCAA Championships. Texas A&M led the opening day with 21.5, while Florida held third with 18.

Redshirt sophomore Oghenakpobo Efekoro finished fourth in the shot put, scoring five points for the Cavaliers. He recorded a mark of 19.70 meters (64-7.75).

U.Va. sophomore Hilmar Jonsson threw a personal-best 72.38m (237-5) to place fourth in the hammer throw.

Hampton freshman Jaelen Williams, a Phoebus High graduate, was fifth in the third heat of the 400-meter hurdles in 50.46 seconds and 12th overall.

His time was 0.14 off his best this year. The top two in each of the three heats, along with the next two fastest times advanced to Friday night’s final.

Texas senior Byron Robinson and Virginia Tech junior Gregory Chiles – both Western Branch grads – were eliminated along with Williams.

Florida freshman Grant Holloway, a Grassfield High product, placed second in the long jump, two inches behind Gators teammate KeAndre Bates.

Holloway also qualified for Friday’s final in the 110-meter hurdles. He won his heat in 13.41. Only Illinois junior David Kendiera (13.39) ran faster in the preliminaries.

LSU senior Michael Cherry, from Oscar Smith High, ran the second-fastest time 400-meter preliminary time, 44.73. He finished second to Texas A&M senior Fred Kerley (44.57).

Virginia Tech senior Brad Johnson tied for 16th in the pole vault. Johnson, a Kellam High product, cleared 16-10 3/4.

William and Mary’s Tucker Rizzi wrapped up his career with a 24th-place finish in the javelin, gaining All-America honorable mention. His best throw of 60.91 meters (199 feet, 10 inches) made him W&M’s third All-America javelin performer in six years.

Women’s basketball:

Nikki McCray’s first game as Old Dominion’s coach will be a 4 p.m. Nov. 10 home contest against Liberty at Constant Center in the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament first round. All WNIT teams are guaranteed three games in the event.

The Liberty-ODU winner will face the winner of George Mason’s game at Michigan in the second round. …

Radford announced the addition of forward Savannah Felgemacher, a transfer from James Madison.

Football:

Old Dominion outlined its video coverage of the 2017 season, including five appearances on ESPN3, one on CBS Sports Network and two on the Stadium network (formerly American Sports Network and Campus Insiders). Those two are home games against North Carolina Sept. 16 and Florida Atlantic Oct. 7.

All of the Monarchs’ home games will have TV or online video coverage. …

Norfolk State coach Latrell Scott announced the addition of N.C. State transfer cornerback J.J. Givens, who is immediately eligible and can play four years for NSU.

Givens (6-2, 175 pounds), who redshirted last year as a Wolfpack freshman, was a two-way star at Atlee High in Mechanicsville. As a Raiders senior in 2015, Givens recorded 34 tackles, seven interceptions and 13 pass breakups.

Award:

Conference USA announced that women’s golfer Rachel Walker was Old Dominion’s winner for the C-USA Spring Spirit of Service Award.

Walker has made the Dean’s List four times and is a three-time C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll member. She has serviced more than 12 causes, including the Salvation Army Food Bank, the ODU Little Feet Meet, Lambert’s Point trash pickup and Norfolk Public School Reading Day.

LOCAL BASEBALL:

Coastal Plain League:

Jonathan Embry’s tie-breaking two-run double in the eighth gave the Peninsula Pilots (7-1) a 6-4 win over Wilson (1-5) at War Memorial Stadium.

Embry’s hit capped a four-run inning that enabled the Pilots to overcome the Tobs’ 4-2 lead. The Liberty University player was 3 for 4 with three RBI.

Coastal Carolina’s Kieton Rivers, who grew up in Suffolk, drove in two runs and scored two for the Pilots. Virginia Tech’s Jack Owens and Mercyhurst’s Matt Schneider had two hits each for Peninsula.

James Madison pitcher Colt Harlow gave up two runs — none earned — in three innings for a victory. Lenoir-Rhyne’s Tad Ratliff struck out three in the ninth for a save.

Saint Louis’ Alex King paced the Tobs with two hits, two runs and an RBI.

The Pilots bounced back from Tuesday, when their season-opening winning streak ended at six with a 3-2 loss to the Edenton Steamers in Game 2 of a doubleheader.

International League:

Gwinnett salvaged one win in its three-game series against Norfolk, with Andrew Albers pitching 6 1/3 innings of a 6-0 shutout in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Matt Tuiasosopo was 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI for the Braves.

Johnny Giavotella led the Tides with two hits, extending his hitting streak to 13 games and his streak of reaching base to 24 games.

Eastern League:

Richmond (23-34) won 8-2 in Game 1 but was shut out 3-0 by the host Binghamton Rumble Ponies (32-21) in a doubleheader.

In the opener, Slade Heathcott slugged two home runs and drove in three runs for the Flying Squirrels. Miguel Gomez was 3 for 4 and scored three runs, and newcomer Jerry Sands doubled twice and drove in three, giving Sam Coonrod plenty of support in his victorious six-inning start.

In the nightcap, though, Binghamton’s Chris Flexen pitched a five-hit shutout in his Double-A debut for the Mets’ affiliate.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Rumble Ponies escaped a bases-loaded, one-out Richmond threat by turning a double play. Then in the bottom of the fourth, Matt Oberste tripled to right field and Kevin Kaczmarski brought him home with a sacrifice fly.