Overtime

Track & Field

Ex-Lakeside star Hoffa wins title

Lakeside High graduate Reese Hoffa put a spark into the Millrose Games in New York on Friday by winning the shot put with a personal-best of 70 feet, 11¼ inches.

The entire meet stopped to highlight the shot put, in its second year at Madison Square Garden.

The lights dimmed and rock music blared. All four competitors tried to fire up the crowd, and Hoffa ended up as the winner, beating t hree-time Olympian John Godina, who had a put of 69-5½.

"The atmosphere out there was electric," Hoffa said. "From the moment I stepped out there on the track, I knew I had the possibility of going over 70. I was amazed."

College Baseball

Augusta State wins its season opener

Junior right-hander Justin Walker pitched seven shutout innings, and Garrick McGrath and Kevin Kelley supplied the offense as No. 14 Augusta State opened its season with 2-0 victory over Carson-Newman on Friday.

Walker had a no-hitter for four innings and ended up allowing three hits. Craig Arrington pitched two perfect innings for the save at Jaguar Field.

Augusta scored its first run in the seventh inning on McGrath's single, which scored David Beu¤mel, who had doubled. In the eighth inning, Kelley hit a home run.

Augusta catcher Sam Barth had a double to extend his hitting streak to 35 games, two shy of the school record.

The teams meet again at 11 a.m. today and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Starter Steve Dunham picked up the victory, allowing four runs, four hits and striking out seven over six innings. Two of the runs were unearned.

In relief, Chris Ericksen, Ryan Mitchell and Nick Wandless combined for three scoreless innings.

In the annual preseason poll of the 12 conference coaches, South Carolina received 63 points in the eastern division, followed by Georgia with 50 and Florida with 48.

In 2004, Georgia (19-11) won the eastern division, followed by South Carolina and Florida with 17-13 records.

The Gamecocks were also picked to finish second in the conference this year, behind Louisiana State University, the western division pick.

LSU received nine first-place votes, South Carolina had two and Florida one.

Major League Baseball

Rockies, Chacon avoid arbitration

In Denver, Shawn Chacon and the Colorado Rockies avoided arbitration when they agreed Friday to a $2.35 million, one-year contract.

An All-Star as a starter in 2003 when he went 11-8, Chacon became a closer last year and went 1-9 with a 7.11 ERA with nine blown saves, walking 52 in 63Q innings.

Chacon, 27, lost his job as closer during the final week of the season, and the Rockies said he will be back in the starting rotation this year.

Hillenbrand was acquired from Arizona last month. He hit a team-high.310 for the Diamondbacks last season with 15 home runs.