LAS VEGAS - Hawai`i took a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning against Notre Dame, only to have the Irish rally for five runs, including a walk-off two-run homer to defeat the Rainbow Wahine, 8-7, in the first day of the Rebel Classic held at Eller Media Stadium

UH starter Melissa Coogan (2-2) went the distance allowing 12 hits while striking out three and walking two.

ND's Kellie Middleton had the biggest hit for the Irish, hitting the first pitch she saw for a two-run, walk-off home run. Middleton's hit - her first of the season - capped a five-run rally by the Irish in the seventh.

The 7th inning started with back-to-back singles by Sara Schoonaert and Megan Ciolli. Stephanie Brown knocked home a run on a groundout while Liz Hartmann added a RBI double.

The game began in good fashion for UH as Tracie Uchima smacked a ball off pitcher Heather Booth's glove in the circle that Sara Schoonaert bobbled and was unable to make a play for an error. Noelle Izumi then singled to Schoonaert at short, beating out a slow grounder. With runners on first and second and one out, Tyleen Tausaga then bounced a ball off the glove of Hartmann at third for another Irish ive error that allowed Uchima to score. Stacey Ritter then drilled a single to center to knock in Izumi and moving Tausaga to third. Denise Dahlberg followed with a squeeze bunt driving in Tausaga and staking UH to a 3-0 lead.

Notre Dame (1-0) was able to scratch through for a run in the bottom of the third. Schoonaert led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored when Marie Jackson missed the cutoff after returning Brown's single up the middle back to the infield.

The Irish tied the game in the fourth when Hartmann led off with a single through the left side and was replaced by pinch runner Nicole Wicks. After Middleton moved Wicks into scoring position at second with a sacrifice bunt, Nicole deFau stroked a triple down the rightfield line allowing Wicks to score. With deFau at third, Dahlberg committed a passed ball making it 3-3.

The tie lasted one inning when Dahlberg made up for her passed ball by crushing a pitch over the leftfield fence, her first homer of the season, to put UH ahead 4-3. The Rainbow Wahine then tacked on an insurance run when Booth walked Jackson with two outs and the number nine hitter, Justina Kahaku smacked a triple over Middleton's head in right to make it 5-3. Carrie Wisen (1-0) entered in relief of Booth and forced a pop up on her first pitch to end the inning. Wisen went the final 1.1 innings to pick up the win.

Hawai`i (3-4) tacked on two unearned runs in the top of the seventh.

The Rainbow Wahine face host UNLV later today.