Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

Gators open SEC with 11-1 victory

GAINESVILLE - Freshman leftfielder Brian LeClerc drove in four runs as Florida's baseball team won the first game on its SEC schedule, 11-1 over Arkansas on Friday night.

LeClerc, a Northside Christian graduate from Clearwater who was drafted by the Orioles, had a career night, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a two-run homer in the second inning.

It was the 15th win in 16 games for the Gators (19-4), who improved to 17-2 at home.

In Miami, the Hurricanes beat Illinois-Chicago 6-3. ... Florida Tech beat Eckerd 6-5 in a Sunshine State Conference game at Melbourne. ... Rollins beat Tampa 6-2 in an SSC game at Winter Park. ... Host South Florida beat Cincinnati 15-5.

SOFTBALL: Florida State beat UNLV 2-1 at the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif. ... Rollins beat Tampa 3-2 in an SSC game at Tampa. ... Florida Tech beat Eckerd 3-2 at St. Petersburg.

TENNIS: Florida's women beat Auburn 7-0 at Gainesville, and UF's men beat the Tigers 6-1.

SWIMMING: FSU's Emma Dutton placed eighth in the 100-meter breaststroke to win All-America honors at the NCAA Championships at College Station, Texas.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (31-0, 21 knockouts) debuts at 140 pounds May22 against Demarcus Corley (28-2-1, 16 KOs) in Atlantic City, N.J. Mayweather's proposed fight with former lightweight champion Paul Spadafora fell apart. Mayweather is a former 130- and 135-pound champ.

MAYORGA-SPINKS: Former welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga, who says a referee cost him a match against Cory Spinks on Dec. 13 in Atlantic City, N.J., appealed to state casino regulators to have the decision reversed.

SANDERS-KLITSCHKO: Corrie Sanders (39-2, 29 KOs) fights Vitali Klitschko (33-2, 32 KOs) at Los Angeles' Staples Center on April 24 for the WBC heavyweight belt.

Lindsay Davenport reached the Pacific Life Open final, beating Nathalie Dechy 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) at Indian Wells, Calif. On Sunday she plays Justine Henin-Hardenne, who beat Anastasia Myskina 6-1, 6-1. For the men, Tim Henman beat Andy Roddick 6-7 (7-6), 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, and Irakli Labadze beat Tampa's James Blake 6-7 (7-1), 6-4, 6-1.

BOWLING: Steve Jaros beat Rick Lawrence 4-0 in the round of 16 in the PBA's World Championship in Taylor, Mich. Jaros faces Michael Haugen Jr. today in the Super 16 round.

CYCLING: Lance Armstrong withdrew from the Milan-San Remo in Italy with a mild case of bronchitis. ... Marco Pantani's death was caused by cocaine poisoning. The 1998 Tour de France winner was found dead Feb.14 in Rome.