Sports briefs - 7/26

Boilers set for Pony tourneyHaving lost only one game this season the Boilers, champions of the Johnstown Recreation Pony League, will test their mettle against some of the region’s best baseball squads in the 13-14 age group beginning today at a Pony World Series qualifying tournament in McCandless, Allegheny County. The winner of the tournament will advance to the Pony World Series in Washington, a place that the Boilers have advanced to in the past, making the tournament in 2005. “I think there’s an advantage because it shows that a local team can accomplish big things,” Boilers coach Josh Day said. “There’s going to six very strong teams in this tournament.” The Boilers open up play today against Vesta-Blue at 5:30 p.m. A win will thrust the Johnstown squad to a Friday date with host North Allegheny at 5:30 p.m. North Hills will square off with Cranberry in today’s other opening round contest. The winner of that clash will face Butler at 3 p.m. Friday. If the Boilers lose, they could play North Hills, Cranberry or Butler in an elimination round game on Saturday at 10 a.m. The Boilers (28-1), qualified for the tournament with a 4-1 weekend record at last weekend’s satellite tournament in Hopwood.Curve fall to B-MetsALTOONA – The Binghamton Mets scored five times in the fourth inning and coasted to a 7-2 victory over the Curve Wednesday afternoon at Blair County Ballpark.Curve starter Josh Shortslef retired the first nine B-Mets he faced in working a perfect first three innings, but the tide quickly turned in the fourth.BOWLINGHall inducting HohmanThe Laurel Highlands Bowling Association Hall of Fame will induct Jim Hohman into its Class of 2007 on Aug. 19 at the Catholic War Veterans hall in Johnstown.Hohman, 69, will be honored for his dedication while teaching and instructing bowlers of all ages, many of those children, for 28 years at Westmont Lanes.“I started working with kids at Westmont Lanes when you had to blow up long tubes and put them in the gutters so the kids could not throw a gutter ball,” said Hohman, who was raised in Prospect. “We showed them which fingers to put in the ball and where to stand. This was called bump and bowl. The ages of the kids were 4 to 8 years. We also showed them the four-step approach.”