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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 5:44 p.m., Saturday, June 3, 2006

UH wins, will play Kansas Sunday

Advertiser Staff

Left-hander Ian Harrington gutted out a complete game Saturday to lift the University of Hawaii to a 5-3 victory over Wright State, allowing the Rainbows to play another day in the NCAA baseball regional tournament game in Corvallis, Ore.

Hawaii (44-16) advances to another elimination game 10 a.m. Sunday Hawaii time against Kansas, which lost to host and top seed Oregon State, 11-3, Saturday.

The loser of the Hawaii-Kansas game Sunday will be eliminated from the double-elimination tournament. The winner advances and will play another game Sunday.

Harrington (9-3) earned his third complete game of the season. He allowed six hits, struck out three, walked none and allowed three earned runs, including two in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer to Aaron Garcia.

Derek DuPree batted 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Robbie Wilder went 2-for-3, including a bases-empty homer in the sixth. Matt Inouye and Esteban Lopez also had two hits.

UH broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the third inning, added two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth.

Meanwhile, Harrington retired the first nine Wright State batters before Ross Oeder reached first on third baseman's Kris Sanchez's fielding error in the fourth.

Harrington allowed his first hit -- a lead-off single to Justin Wilson -- in the fifth. Wilson was sacrified to second and was stranded after Justin Parker flew out to deep left.

In the third, Wilder walked and scored on DuPree's hit to center that was misplayed into a triple. It was UH's first extra-base hit of the tournament. Justin Frash hit a sacrifice fly to left to make it 2-0.

In the fifth, DuPree singled to left and Frash followed with a single to right that send DuPree to third. On the throw to third, Frash took second. DuPree scored on Luis Avila's sacrifice fly. Inouye followed with a double down the third-base line, scoring Frash.

In the sixth, Wilder homered to right.

Wright State broke through in the seventh with a run on two singles and a double-play grounder.

Wright State made it closer with a lead-off single and a homer by Garcia. But Harrington then retired the next three batters.

Wright State (32-27), of Dayton Ohio and the Horizon League champion, was eliminated from the tournament. The Raiders lost Friday to Oregon State, 5-3. UH lost to Kansas, 9-6, after leading 5-0 early.

WRIGHT'S STATE

Righthander Steven Wright, University of Hawaii's star pitcher, has mononucleosis, according to UH coach Mike Trapasso.

Trapasso, speaking on a pregame radio show, said Wright is done for the year.

Wright was the Western Athletic Conference's Pitcher of the Year and UH's winningest pitcher with an 11-2 record. He had a 2.30 earned-run average with 123 strikeouts and 19 walks.

INJURY UPDATE

Shortstop Eli Christensen is out after suffering an injured elbow during pregame of Friday's loss to Kansas. He was replaced Saturday by freshman Nathan Young.

JUNE JONES SIGHTING

University of Hawaii football coach June Jones attended the game. He is from Oregon and played collegiate football at Portland State.