Wes Littleton allowed just a run in eight innings and Ronnie Prettyman
was 4-for-4 with three doubles as fifth-ranked Cal State Fullerton beat
Minnesota, 6-1, in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon in the H.H.H.
Metrodome.
The Titans improved to 16-2 overall to match the 1996 squad for the best
start through 18 games. Minnesota evened its record at 5-5.
Littleton (4-0) allowed a run on seven hits (all singles), struck out
six and walked one in eight innings. He retired 14 consecutive batters
after allowing a first-inning single to Scott Welch. The Golden Gophers
finally broke though for a run on three hits in the eighth inning to spoil
Littleton's bid for his second shutout of the season. After Littleton
gave up a leadoff single to Welch in the ninth, Chad Cordero came on to
pick up the final three outs.
Prettyman, who has reached base in his last nine plate appearances and
has hits in his last seven official at bats, doubled and scored on Shane
Costa's sac fly in the first to get the Titans on the board.
Kurt Suzuki's first of three hits, a second inning double, set the stage
for two more runs with Justin Smyres picking up an RBI on a ground out
and Prettyman driving in a run on a single to center. Fullerton tacked
on single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.
Costa finished 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI and Richie Burgos extended his
hitting streak to eight games with a first inning double. Sam Steidl and
Welch each had two hits for the Gophers, but Luke Appert saw his nine-game
hitting streak snapped.
The Titans will send Dustin Miller to the mound on Sunday to try to win
their fifth series in as many tries this season.
