Having burned 14 innings of relief in extra-inning games the two previous nights, Hawai'i needed a long outing from starting pitcher Ian Harrington yesterday.

The junior left-hander didn't disappoint, hurling 7 1/3 innings to hold off San Jose State, 7-3, yesterday as UH won the three-game Western Athletic Conference series.

In a game in which insurance was at a premium, designated hitter Justin Frash drove in four runs for the Rainbows (24-9 overall, 2-3 WAC). His seventh-inning RBI double increased UH's lead to 4-2 and was important when SJSU pulled to within one in the top of the eighth. He added a two-run double in a three-run eighth to keep the relentless Spartans (20-12, 3-2) at bay before 898 at Les Murakami Stadium.

But it was Harrington who gave UH a chance. With the bullpen taxed from Friday's 7-5 loss in 12 innings and Saturday's 6-5 win in 13 innings, he had to dig deep, even though SJSU started hitting him hard from the sixth inning. Hawai'i coach Mike Trapasso said he needed Harrington to be efficient.

"Sam (Piraro, SJSU's coach) was smart," Trapasso said. "They were taking a strike for the first few innings, so (Harrington) had to throw all his pitches for strikes. He was still up there in pitch count. When they answered in the sixth, he was in the 80-pitch area where he usually starts struggling. But he was able to get through it today."

Darrell Fisherbaugh aided the cause with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for his sixth save.

"All week I had the flu," said Harrington (4-1), who allowed three runs, eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts. "I was really worried about going out there and not having it. I did kind of get tired at the end, but it was all right.

Spartans' starter Josh Amberson kept the game close by allowing two runs in six innings.

After UH snapped a 2-all game in the seventh on Robbie Wilder's RBI double off third baseman Raul Campos and Frash's RBI double, the Spartans started the eighth with back-to-back singles by Ryan Angel and Chris Williamee. After a double steal, Angel scored and Williamee took third when Sam Hall grounded out to second.

With the tying run at third and one out, Harrington, who was up to 109 pitches, gave way to Fisherbaugh to face Brian Chase, whose two-run single in the sixth tied the game at 2. Chase grounded out on a short-hopper to third baseman Jon Hee, as Williamee retreated to third.

"I tried to get it before it went foul," Hee said of the grounder by Chase, who had seven RBIs in the series. "That guy was hitting us."

John Shaffer also grounded out to third to strand the tying run.

The Rainbows got insurance in the eighth against reliever Matt Winck (2-1) and then Brandon Hennessey on Derek DuPree's RBI single and Frash's two-run double.

Hawai'i staked Harrington to a 2-0 lead in the fifth on RBI singles by DuPree and Frash, only to see the Spartans tie it in the sixth on Chase's two-run single.

The series was well-played defensively. The Spartans came in as one of the best fielding teams in the country and proved it by making countless plays to throw runners out on the bases and home, and rob players of hits.

"It's frustrating, but it's the game, that's how it goes," DuPree said.

Even Wilder's double — his first hit of the series — was nearly stopped by Campos.

"Off the bat, I thought he was going to make another diving play," Wilder said. "It just felt good to get a hit."

The coaches described the series as a grind. Every time one team took a lead, the other would respond accordingly.

"All of the games were nip and tuck," Trapasso said. "For us to lose the first one in extra innings, to be able to come back and win the next two was big. Hopefully, it gives us some momentum to go on the road with."

The Rainbows play at Fresno State starting Friday and at Nevada the following weekend with a game at California between the two series.

"It was a very tough series," SJSU's Piraro said. "Thirty-four tough innings. Especially the previous nights (the extra-inning games) were very tough. It took a lot out of both teams."

The Spartans remain in the state for a three-game series at UH-Hilo starting tomorrow.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.