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HOUSTON – Fourth-seeded HBU got off to a fast start, but top-seeded Houston scored all of the runs it would need in the third inning of a 6-4 victory in the NCAA Baseball Championship Houston Regional Friday night at Cougar Field.
 
Senior centerfielder Zach Nehrir went 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and scored twice, while senior catcher Samm Wiggins went 2-for-4 with a double, his team-leading 16^th of the season, and an RBI for the Huskies (28-26). Junior shortstop Louie Payetta was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and junior first baseman Andrew Alvarez singled and drove in a pair.
 
Junior lefthander Matthew McCollough (8-3) took the loss for HBU, allowing six runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and two walks in seven and two-thirds innings, coming one out shy of the Huskies' fifth-straight complete game. McCollough allowed only three hits outside the Cougars' big third inning.
 
Connor Wong went 3-for-4 with a run and Corey Julks hit a home run and drove in three for Houston (43-18). Kyle Survance went 2-for-4 with a run and Ian Rice doubled and scored a run.
 
Andrew Lantrip (9-3) went the distance for the Cougars, allowing four runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.
 
The Huskies jumped out to a quick lead in their first NCAA Regional appearance, getting a leadoff single by Nehrir on the first pitch of the game, a bunt single by Payetta and a blooper to right by third baseman Curtis Jones to load the bases, after he failed to get down a sacrifice bunt. Wiggins followed with an RBI single to left, then Alvarez ripped a two-run single to left on an 0-2 pitch to put HBU ahead, 3-0.
 
With one out in the second, Nehrir drilled the first pitch he saw over the wall in left center to tie for the team lead with his fifth home run of the season and give the Huskies a 4-0 lead.
 
UH answered back in a big way in the bottom of the third, getting singles from Ashford Fulmer and Survance to put runners on the corners. Josh Vidales singled up the middle to bring home the Cougars' first run, then Chris Iriart struck out for the second out. Jacob Campbell delivered an RBI singled, then Julks unloaded a three-run home run to left to put UH ahead, 5-4. The Cougars weren't done as Wong singled, then Rice doubled into the leftfield corner to make the lead, 6-4.
 
HBU will face second-seeded Rice (35-21) in an elimination game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Cougar Field. The Owls gave up five runs in the top of the ninth to drop a 7-6 decision to third-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette.
 
HBU Notes: Senior catcher Samm Wiggins has reached safely in 20-straight games…junior first baseman Andrew Alvarez has hit safely in nine straight…senior third baseman Curtis Jones ranks second all-time at HBU in hits, five shy of leader Andrew Taccolini (274)…senior centerfielder Zach Nehrir tied Wiggins for the team lead in home runs (5)…junior second baseman Greg Espinosa has hit safely in eight-straight games.