Box Score
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Behind two big home runs by
Matthew Inouye, the University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (45-16) came back to defeat the No. 22 Kansas Jayhawks (43-25) 9-5 in the NCAA Regional at Goss Stadium, eliminating the Jayhawks from the tournament.
Darrell Fisherbaugh (3-2) pitched wonderfully in relief, allowing five hits in 5.1 innings to get the win. Brendan McNamara (3-3) took the loss for KU.
Inouye led the way, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Luis Avila added a 3-for-4 game with three RBI and two runs while freshman Nathan Young went 3-for-4 with two runs. Justin Frash added a 2-for-4 game with one RBI while Derek DuPree extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a 1-for-5 game with two runs.
Kansas jumped out early, scoring their first four batters to take a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Jayhawks then showed their power again in the third as Jared Schweitzer hit a solo home run to move their edge to 5-0.
Frash opened the scoring for the 'Bows, driving in Nathan Young in the bottom of the third. Avila hit a two-run single before Inouye smacked his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left-center, tying the score at 5-5 after the third.
Hawai`i threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth, leading off the inning with back-to-back singles. But Kansas shut down the Rainbows to three-straight outs, holding the game at 5-5.
Inouye struck again in the bottom of the fifth, whacking his second-straight home run to give the 'Bows their first lead of game at 7-5. Avila added another run for UH in the bottom of the sixth, driving in DuPree to make it 8-5.
Young would come around to score an insurance run on a passed ball in the bottom of the eighth, pushing the score to 9-5. In the ninth, Kansas was able to put a couple of runners on. But Fisherbaugh stayed composed and closed out his gritty outing with a ground out to take the game 9-5.
Hawai`i will now face the host No. 8 Oregon State Beavers in the night game, needing to beat OSU twice to move on.
-UH-
