HONOLULU - The No. 3 seed, University of Hawai`i softball team (33-18, 10-7 WAC) fell to No. 4 seed, Louisiana Tech in their opening game of the 2008 Western Athletic Conference tournament, 2-1. Senior pitcher Kate Robinson (16-7, 6-3 WAC) took the loss, throwing her 20th complete game. Tech's Krissi Oliver earned the win also with a complete game effort. Both starting pitchers also hit solo home runs for their respective teams.

Robinson gave up two runs on five hits with nine strike outs and two walks. After giving up the two early runs, she settled down to hold Tech off the scoreboard the rest of the game. But Hawai`i was unable to overcome the early deficit. With the win, the Lady Techsters snapped a 14-game losing streak to Hawai`i, dating back to May 1, 2004. The loss also marked the first time in the previous two WAC tournaments that Hawai`i lost its opening game.

The Lady Techsters came out firing, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Regan Clark hit an RBI-double to left-centerfield to drive in Danielle Sheridan, who had walked earlier in the inning.

In the top of the seccond, Oliver pushed Tech's lead to 2-0 after she launched a solo-shot over the left-centerfield fence.

Oliver held the Hawai`i offense in check through the first innings, scattering three hits and striking out four. Tech entered the fourth ahead 2-0, but Robinson cut the lead with one swing of her bat, to 2-1 with a shot over the right-centerfield fence. After a ground out to third, Valana Manuma reached first after getting hit by a pitch. Richie-Anne Titcomb then followed by drilling a double to the leftfield corner to put runners at second and third with one out. But Oliver then got the final two outs on a shallow fly ball to left and a foul fly to right.

Hawai`i will now face the loser of the first game tomorrow between No. 1 Nevada and No. 6 San Jose State. It will be the opening game for the regular season conference champs, the Wolf Pack. The Spartans defeated Utah State in the tourney opener, 8-1. The 'Bows will play at 4:45 pm on Thursday.

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