COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Cal State Fullerton Finishes Sweep of San Luis Obispo

Cal State Fullerton, the nation’s top-ranked college baseball team, is off to its best start ever, and the Titans aren’t showing any signs of slowing the pace.

The Titans rang up their ninth consecutive victory, completing a three-game sweep of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Monday at Titan Field.

Fullerton unleashed a 17-hit, three-home run attack to overwhelm the Mustangs, 15-1. Outfielder Mark Kotsay hit his eighth home run and was two for two with four runs batted in. Fullerton (24-3) racked up eight runs in the first two innings and coasted the rest of the way. San Luis Obispo fell to 9-11.

By the time the Titans reached the bottom of the sixth with a 12-0 lead, Fullerton starting pitcher Jon Ward was on the sidelines, assured of his fourth victory in six decisions this season. Ward held Cal Poly scoreless in six innings, giving up six hits and striking out seven.

“They’re the best hitting college team I’ve ever seen,” San Luis Obispo Coach Ritch Price said. “There’s not a glaring weakness in their lineup, and they hit good pitches on us. When they’re sitting on fastball counts, they really smoke it.”

Titan Coach Augie Garrido also was pleased with his team’s performance in the series.

“It was a good effort,” he said. “We’re trying to remain consistent, and I think we achieved that.”

Fullerton scored three runs in the first. A single by Joe Fraser, a walk to Kotsay and a single by Tony Miranda drove in one run. Kotsay scored on a passed ball, and Miranda came home on an error.

The Titans ripped Mustang starter R.J. Simone for five runs in the second with Kotsay hitting a three-run home run. After Miranda’s double, designated hitter Ruben Hernandez, who was three for four, hit a two-run homer.

The Titans added two more runs in the fourth. Kotsay, Hernandez and D. C. Olsen had hits in the inning. Two more runs scored in the fifth on a hit by Jack Jones, a walk to C.J. Ankrum and two sacrifice flies.

Both lineups were loaded with reserves by the seventh, but the Titans added three more runs including Skip Kiil’s two-run home run. Fullerton gave up a run in the ninth.

In other nonconference baseball:

Linfield (Oregon) 7, Southern California College 6 (11)--Ryan Seidel had two hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs for Southern California College (7-18). Matt Newton and Brian Nolan also had two hits for the Vanguards.

Western Oregon 5, Concordia 4 (10)--Ronnie Dillon doubled in the winning run in the top of the 10th for Western Oregon (10-3). Brent Waslefsky and Derrick Bly each hit two-run home runs for Concordia.

In nonconference softball:

Faulkner (Ala.) 8-5, Southern California College 1-2--Amy Lewis hit a two-run home run in the second game for Southern California College (13-11). Shannon Moreno doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the first game for the Vanguards.