Valana Manuma's two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning rallied Hawai'i past No. 15 Nebraska, 4-3, last night in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The Rainbows (2-0) also won their opener, 17-0, against Portland State in a game cut to five innings because of the eight-run differential mercy rule.

"It feels good," Manuma said. "The whole night I was struggling."

Manuma had struck out in all of her three previous at-bats against Nebraska starter Molly Hill, but ripped reliever Ashley DeBuhr's inside fastball — the pitch that she struggled with all night — to left-center to score the tying and go-ahead runs.

"I just wanted to hit the ball hard somewhere," she said.

Trailing 3-2, Kate Robinson doubled with one out and Amanda Taualii was hit by a pitch. Hill was lifted for DeBuhr, who struck out pinch hitter Kanani Warren. Manuma then drilled a 2-2 offering to put UH ahead before Tanisha Milca struck out.

"We haven't beaten a high-ranked team in a while," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "This, hopefully, will propel us ... I want more than just beating a top-25 team. This will bode well for us if we can keep this going."

Jessica Morton (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for starter Courtney Baughman. Hill (0-1) was tagged for four runs in 5 1/3 innings. Morton retired the first two batters in the top of the seventh before Crystal Carwile doubled to right. But she was thrown out at third on a relay from right fielder Kate Robinson to second baseman Alana Power to third baseman Clare Warwick.

The Cornhuskers scored a run on a passed ball in the first, and the Rainbow Wahine tied it in the bottom of the third on Milca's two-out solo home run off the top of the center-field fence.

The Rainbows took a 2-1 lead in the fifth, with Milca scoring on Tyleen Tausaga's groundout.

Alex Hupp's two-run double gave Nebraska a brief 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth.

In the opener, the Rainbows took advantage of 11 walks, three errors and six wild pitches by the Vikings (0-2). Hawai'i scored in every inning but the fifth, sending 10 batters up in a six-run third. Tausaga and Kaulana Gould Tyleen Tausaga each had four RBIs — with Tausaga hitting a two-run homer.

UH's Justine Smethurst (1-0) pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

Earlier, DePaul won its first two games of the tournament, beating No. 24 Auburn, 7-0, and Portland State, 5-1. Tracie Adix allowed three hits in six innings to help beat Auburn (0-1), while Megan Huitink (five innings) and Stephanie Blagiach (two innings) combined on a one-hitter to beat Portland State (0-1).

In the third game of the day, Ashley DeBuhr fired a two-hitter to lead No. 15 Nebraska over Auburn, 1-0, in eight innings.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.