Streak's alive! Wittels gets hit in 55th straight

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - With his team trailing by nine runs, there was little reason for Garrett Wittels to take a pitch.

So the Florida International infielder swung away on a 3-0 count - and moved within three games of history.

Wittels extended his hitting streak to 55 games on Friday, lining a double just over the outstretched glove of Texas A&M second baseman Adam Smith to lead off the sixth inning in an opening-round game of the NCAA tournament. Wittels had gone hitless in his first two at-bats.

He could move closer to Robin Ventura's Division I record of 58 games - set in 1987 - on Saturday, when FIU meets either Miami or Dartmouth as the double-elimination Coral Gables Regional continues.

But down 10-1 in the sixth, Wittels had the green light to swing on a three-ball