FRESNO, CALIF. - Hawai`i's Melissa Coogan and Paula Blanning tossed back-to-back complete games as the Rainbow Wahine opened up Western Athletic Conference play with its first-ever doubleheader sweep of Fresno State.

The Rainbow Wahine took eight innings in the first game finally pushing across a run in the top of the eighth inning and winning, 1-0.

Coogan (16-8) went the distance scattering four hits while striking out four and walking one. Her counterpart, Jamie Southern (11-9) took the loss. It was UH's first-ever win against the All-American.

"Coogs was on fire today," head coach Bob Coolen said. "She was in trouble a couple of times, but worked her way out of the jams."

In the top of the eighth inning, UH's Tracie Uchima led off with a single down the left field line. After Denise Dahlberg fouled out, April Crowell reached on an error by the second baseman, moving Uchima to second. Kea Yamaguchi then came in to pinch-run for Crowell. Stacey Porter then flied out to deep center field, but Uchima tagged and tried to score from second.

The throw and Uchima came in and the ball was jarred out of FSU catcher Pam West's glove allowing Uchima to score. Originally, Uchima was ruled out, but the call was reversed when the umpires got together and one of them saw the ball pop out of West's glove.

In the second game, redshirt freshman Paula Blanning got her first start in the circle and tossed the game of her life.

"Paula was a little wild, but she kept her poise and got us into the dugout on a couple of self-made jams," Coolen said.

Blanning (1-0) scattered six hit and struck out one while issuing four walks. But she got a lot of help at the plate.

The momentum from game one carried over in game two as the UH bats heated up on FSU starter Leslie Poole (5-4). Poole, one of three FSU pitchers, lasted only one-third of an inning allowing three runs on three hits.

The big blow in the top of the first was delivered by Porter who clobbered a two-run shot to right, giving her eight on the season and giving her 29 career homers and tying her in the UH record books with former Rainbow Wahine Dana Degan.

Fresno picked up a run in the fourth to make it 3-1, but UH responded with three more in the fifth highlighted by an RBI triple by Marie Jackson and an RBI single by Ashley Ruff.

Dahlberg also hit a solo shot in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Hawai`i improves to 21-14 and 2-0 in the WAC, while Fresno State falls to 18-17 and 0-2.

The two teams meet again at Bulldog Diamond for another WAC doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday.