SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University women's softball recruit Ashley Knight has been named Gatorade West Virginia Player of the Year.

A left-handed pitcher from Ritchie County High School, Knight led her team to the Class AA state title, finishing 18-2 with a 0.52 earned run average, 214 strikeouts and 11 walks in 108 innings pitched.

Knight will join senior Shaylee Ianno — 12-5, 1.72 ERA, 94 strikeouts in 80 innings — on The Rock pitching staff next spring.

Brent Rodgers of Cranberry Township fired a 76 to tie Luke Miller of Venetia for second place at the 35th annual WPGA Boys Championship Wednesday at Shannopin Country Club.Steve Thomas of Upper St. Clair won the championship with a par 71.Anthony Smaldino of Butler was tied for fifth place (82) while Benjamin Mullins of Valencia was tied for seventh (84).

PITTSBURGH — St. Jude Golf Club member Sean Knapp fired a 76 on the fourth and final round at the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational Wednesday to finish in fourth place at the Pittsburgh Field Club.Knapp finished with a 288, nine strokes behind champion Ryan Sikora of Pittsburgh Field Club.Joe Boros of Treesdale Golf & Country Club finished in eighth place with a score of 294, Dennis Munko of Birdsfoot Golf Club was tied for 24th (304) and John Aubrey of Aubrey's Dubbs Dred and Denny Dolci of St. Jude Golf Club tied for 30th (307).<B></B>

NAGOYA, Japan — Tiger Woods has signed a three-year deal to promote a Japanese pain reliever, his first endorsement since he was caught in a sex scandal toward the end of 2009.The deal with Kowa Company Ltd. is geared only toward the market in Japan. Woods already has filmed commercials for “Vantelin Kowa,” a heat rub used to relieve muscle and joint pain. The commercial is to be shown in Japan starting next month.

NEW YORK — Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom has a more serious leg injury that will require surgery, and the colt won't race again this year.The colt's ownership, Team Valor International, said in a statement Wednesday that a second set of X-rays has revealed Animal Kingdom has a slab fracture in his left hind leg.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Paul Kariya is retiring from the NHL, unable to return from post-concussion symptoms that forced him to miss all of last season.The former star left wing finished his 15-season NHL career with the St. Louis Blues.The 36-year-old Kariya scored 402 goals and helped set up 587 others in a stellar career with Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville and St. Louis.