Overtime

Postponements

Rain forces several game cancellations

It seems only the rain can stop Sam Barth these days.

Inclement weather forced the postponement of Thursday's Augusta State home game against Anderson. No make-up date has been announced.

Barth will try to extend his NCAA Division II record hitting streak to 48 games Saturday, when the No. 11 Jaguars begin a three-game Peach Belt Conference series at Francis Marion.

The Lady Pacers' softball doubleheader against Pfeiffer will be made up at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. USC Aiken will play again at

3 p.m. today in a doubleheader against Newberry.

The school's tennis teams also were forced to postpone their matches against Carson-Newman in Jefferson City, Tenn.

The teams return to action at 3:30 p.m. today against Tusculum in Greenville, Tenn.

Football

Clarett wants to prove he's worthy

In Indianapolis, Maurice Clarett isn't challenging anyone but himself these days.

No lawsuits against the NFL. No feuding with authorities.

Instead, Clarett showed up at the NFL Combine with a smile and a plan. The former Ohio State star who challenged the league's draft rules in court ñ and eventually lost ñ claims he can handle anything except not playing.

"This is a big day I've been preparing for for a long time," he said. "This day has been on my calendar for a long time, coming here interviewing with everybody, kind of knocking off the kinks everybody had on me and the knocks everybody had on me. I've been real focused and ready for this day to come.

"I'm not sure what I have to convince them of."

"He'll have to show people he's been working and is in shape," said Bills general manager Tom Donahoe, a loud critic of Clarett last year, when he did not work out for teams at the combine. "He'll probably have to work out well to show that. The fact that he hasn't played in a year is not a positive, so I think it is important based on what happened last year.

"I think you have to give the young man a chance to give his side of the story and then decide whether he's truthful. If you talk to other people and decide what he says is accurate, then you have to try and weigh the whole thing. I don't wish any kid ill will, but I think when you're on display, you should do everything you can to put your best foot forward, and I don't think he did that last year. Hopefully, he will this year."

If Hall won't forgo a $1 million roster bonus due in March and agree to earn a minimum salary instead of the $3 million he's due in 2005, he can look elsewhere.

A source familiar with the situation requested anonymity before saying this week that there's almost no chance Atlanta can afford to have the defensive end count $6.4 million against the salary cap. Hall hasn't been a full-time starter since 2001.

Tennis

Mauresmo on pace for third final in row

In Doha, Qatar, top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo defeated Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-2, 6-2 to move into the semifinals at the Qatar Open.

Mauresmo will face fourth-seeded Alicia Molik of Australia in today's semifinals, while Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova will play former top-five player Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

Mauresmo, winner of 10 of 12 matches this year, is aiming for her third consecutive final. She lost in Paris at the Open Gaz de France before beating Venus Williams at the Diamond Games.

Second-seeded Sharapova beat Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-2 to reach her third semifinals in as many events this year.

Molik survived a scare before defeating Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (1), and Hantuchova downed Spanish veteran Conchita Martinez 6-4, 6-1.