Wile E. Coyote caught the Roadrunner. Charlie Brown kicked the football. And, after a 21-year chase, the University of Hawai'i softball team finally won a regular-season series against Fresno State.

Yesterday's doubleheader split — a 6-2 loss in the first game, a 2-1 victory in the second — coupled with an 18-2 rout in the opener Friday night enabled the Rainbow Wahine to win the three-game series.

"I feel like the world has been lifted off our shoulders," first baseman/designated player Tyleen Tausaga said. "Every time we play them, there's a lot of pressure. Everybody wants to win so much. We know Fresno always has a good team, a great team. There's so much buildup. To come out and play Fresno so hard, we're all exhausted physically and emotionally. We have nothing left but happiness."

It was the final home games of the season for the Rainbows, who improved to 42-9 overall and 13-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Bulldogs, who have won the past four WAC regular-season titles and appeared in 22 consecutive NCAA postseason tournaments, fell to 36-14 and 9-3.

"We could never get over the hump," Coolen said. "We would beat them one day, and then they'd kill us the next day."

That appeared to be the Rainbows' fate yesterday, when All-American Robin Mackin pitched a three-hitter and struck out nine in the first game. Jenna Cervantez hit a three-run homer and Nichole Willis contributed a bases-empty shot.

"That was tough to do," FSU coach Margie Wright said of rebounding from the 18-2 loss the previous night. "We have a great group of women.They came here to win."

Instead of starting Mackin for the third consecutive game, Wright chose Merryann Barr for the series' decisive third game.

Barr relinquished Kaulana Gould's solo homer in the first inning. The Bulldogs tied it on Willis' second homer of the day.

The Rainbows then went ahead for good, at 2-1, on Clare Warwick's homer to left-center.

That proved to be — barely — enough for Kate Robinson, who was the winning pitcher Friday night. Yesterday, Robinson allowed five hits and struck out eight to improve to 14-0. She is 7-0 against WAC opponents.

But the outcome was in suspense until the final pitch. In the seventh, Willis opened with a line single and went to second on Barr's blooper to left.

After that, the UH infielders and Coolen gathered around Robinson.

With the sixth hitter, Mackin, coming to the plate, Coolen told Robinson: "You own the bottom part of the lineup. You own it. You'll take care of it."

Robinson said: "I kept looking at Bob. He kept saying: 'Just think about one batter.' "

Mackin hit a grounder to short. As Valana Manuma tried to field it, she was knocked over by Kori Sherman, who was pinch-running for Willis. Sherman was called out for interfering with Manuma.

Shannon Garvin then grounded out to Manuma, with the runners advancing to second and third. Michelle Palazuelos, who had struck out swinging in her previous two at-bats, coaxed a walk to load the bases.

"I'll just say it was intentional," Robinson said, smiling.

Mallory Perkins then hit a hard grounder that appeared destined for right-center field. But second baseman Alana Power, in full sprint, backhanded the grounder and outraced Palazuelos to second for the final out, triggering a wild celebration.

"The ball just jumped into my glove," Power said. "I was running to second and knew that was my only chance to get that out."

She tossed the ball into the air after the play, a gift to a future eBay seller. "I didn't want the ball," Power said. "I wanted to hug my teammates and celebrate with them."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.