"It's like we were holding it in, just waiting to explode, but we couldn't find it before," Yamaguchi said. "We finally found a way to put it together."

Hawai'i and LaTech took turns holding each other off yesterday, before about 250 at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Tech (25-28, 8-7 WAC) took the first game, 5-4, and Hawai'i the second, 5-3.

The opener, which saw the Rainbows rally from three runs back, then rally again in the bottom of the final inning, clinched a losing season for UH (26-31, 8-12). It comes a year after their first Western Athletic Conference title and this class's second NCAA Tournament. The 'Bows have four games remaining, at San Jose State next weekend.

That didn't dull the traditional senior celebration after the final home game.

Their younger teammates serenaded the seniors with a song that raucously pointed out Kahaku's propensity to miss cutoffs, Crowell's cool demeanor, the light-hitting Yamaguchi's shocking home run this season and Jackson's gentle nature ("too sweet to play this game"). A verse praised them as "always being there to push us to our goals, and console."

Then the seniors walked and jogged the Hawai'i bases a final time, hand in hand.

"It's been great," Yamaguchi said. "Four years of my life I will never forget."

"I'd like to change the record, but it's OK," Crowell said. "Everyone's grown so close. I wouldn't change any friendships."

Their final home games were highlighted by hit after hit — 17 to be exact, 10 in the first game. For a team batting 40 points below last year's average, it was time to savor.

"The coach asked us to pull together for the seniors," Jackson said. "I was pretty impressed. They were banging balls everywhere."

After an exhausting rally failed in the first game, the 'Bows earned their split by bolting to a 5-0 lead and holding off Tech in the final inning of the second.

Hawai'i scored twice in the first, Denise Dahlberg coming in on Tyleen Tausaga's grounder and Crowell scoring from second when a bad throw led to a close call at first that was debated too long by Tech.

It got weird in the second. Kahaku singled with one out, moved to second on a grounder and third on Tracie Uchima's first hit of the series. Dahlberg lined out to center, but got a second chance when Tech was caught with an "inaccurate defensive lineup card;" Kristin Blodgette's position (pitcher) was not marked and UH coach Bob Coolen picked his spot to call it and give his team an extra at-bat.

The Tech defense returned, Dahlberg watched two balls, then launched the third over the center-field fence into the vacant lot that will be the new tennis courts.

There was no more scoring until Shannon Tabion (16-9), who had a three-hit shutout going into the last inning, faced eight batters in the seventh. LaTech got its three unearned runs on two hits, a hit batter and two errors, and had runners at second and third as Kahaku caught the final out.

Marla Pinkston beat Hawai'i, 1-0, with a one-hitter Friday, when the only run against Melissa Coogan scored on a mis-communication in the outfield. Yesterday, Pinkston and Coogan were relying solely on survival instincts at the end as the teams combined for 19 hits and nine walks. Coogan gave up six and ultimately it cost her.

She stranded seven Tech runners in scoring position and watched her team rally from a 3-0 deficit to tie it. Ashley Ruff started the comeback with her sixth homer. Crowell continued it with her fourth. In the sixth, freshman Jennifer Hackett singled home Ruff, who slid around the catcher and slapped the plate with her hand.

Hawai'i's season of struggle wasn't over. Coogan walked two with two outs in the seventh to load the bases and Jennifer LaRussa ripped a two-run double.

The Rainbows gave it one more shot. Dahlberg led off with a single. After a walk and groundout, she scored on a double steal. The game ended when pinch runner Noelle Izumi was doubled off second after second baseman Mary Cohn caught Stacey Ritter's blooper in shallow right.

"I was really proud of our team, the first game especially," Kahaku said. "We came back and we had 10 hits."

SHORT HOPS: Hawai'i ends its season Friday and Saturday at San Jose State. ... UH is 1-13 in road games this season.