HONOLULU - The University of Hawai'i made it two-straight tonight in the first day of the 4th Kipa Aloha Malihini Tournament with an exciting 5-4, 8-inning victory over the College of Charleston.

Rainbow hurler Melissa Coogan (4-6) notched her second-straight win. She struckout 10 and walked four going the distance.

The Rainbow Wahine got on the board early with a tally in the second inning when catcher Denise Dahlberg drove a 1-1 pitch off CofC starter Rachel Stern (4-2) that caromed off the left field foul poll.

Charleston took the lead in the third when Brittany Shephard and Brooke Flowers led off with back-to-back singles. After Coogan caught Jacquie Rothey looking at strikes, Amanda Cone then doubled home Shephard, however, center fielder Marie Jackson's throw came in off line allowing Flowers to trot home.

UH tied the game in the fourth when Dahlberg singled and went to second when Ashley Ruff was walked. UH then pulled off another double steal placing runners at second and third. Justina Kahaku then drove home Dahlberg on an infield single to short.

Brittany Pohlen then broke the tie in the sixth when she hit a solo homer to left field on a 0-1 pitch off Coogan.

UH rallied in the seventh when Noelle Izumi nubbed a slow roller to the left side of the circle that Stern fielded and threw to first, but CofC first baseman Annie Davis couldn't find the bag with her foot for an error. Izumi advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Stacey Ritter's RBI single to center.

In the eighth, using the international tie-breaking rule, placed Dahlberg at second. Ruff singled to left and stole second. Stern then got Marie Jackson on a come-backer to the circle, as the runners had to hold. Kahaku then dribbled one to second that scored Dahlberg with the go-ahead run. Then Tracie Uchima hit a grounder to second that looked to get the Cougars out of the inning; however, CofC first baseman Davis was again charged with an error for failing to have her foot on the base allowing Ruff to score to make it 5-3.

Nevertheless, the Cougars weren't done. Rothey was placed at second and moved to third on Cone's single to right. Katie Ballard then hit a grounder to second with the infield in as Rothey held while Ballard was thrown out. After Coogan got Pohlen on strikes, Rothey then came home on a wild pitch. But Coogan ended the game striking out Darcy Johnson.

Hawai'i improves to 11-10 on the season the 2-0 in the tournament. College of Charleston falls to 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the tourney.