The theme of the Hawai'i softball team's season could be reduced to its split in yesterday's Pepsi Malihini Kipi Aloha Tournament at Rainbow Wahine Stadium.

The 15th-ranked Rainbow Wahine lost to No. 22 Washington, 3-2, then came back to trounce Idaho State, 8-0, in a game shortened to 4 1/2 innings because of the 8-run mercy rule.

"We haven't beaten a good team yet," UH coach Bob Coolen said, noting the Rainbows are 0-3 against Pac-10 teams. "We're living off of our laurels from last year. That's all we're doing. It's frustrating."

Against Washington, which was designated as the home team, the Rainbows had a 1-0 lead behind Courtney Baughman, who has emerged as the ace. She has fully recovered from last year's sore right (pitching) shoulder that was further aggravated by a cyst.

After Washington filled the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth, Baughman induced Jace Williams, the Pac-10's leading hitter, to line out to Kaulana Gould in center.

Then Morgan Stuart fouled off an 0-1 pitch. But umpire John Park ruled that UH catcher Katie Grimes interfered with Stuart's swing. Stuart was awarded first base, allowing Alyson McWherter to score the tying run.

"The umpire saw one thing, my player says it was something else," Coolen said. "Perception is everything. That changed the whole nature of the game."

Soon after Baughman threw a wild pitch, allowing Bailey Stenson to score.

In the top of the seventh, the Rainbows tied it at 2 on Tanisha Milca's sacrifice fly. But Washington won it in the bottom of the inning when Alicia Blake walked and went to second on a wild pitch. Pinch-runner Jessica Ventoza scored on McWherter's single to left.

Against Idaho State, Coolen turned to senior Jessica Morton, who has served as a reliever since the end of her freshman season.

"She didn't pitch one inning — not one — in our preseason classic," Coolen said. "The first time she toed the mound we were losing against UCLA. She did a good job. I thought, 'Wait a minute. Am I missing the boat here?' "

Morton had 10 strikeouts in an eight-inning victory over Netherlands Friday night. Yesterday, she relied on a dropball to baffle the Bengals. Of her 56 pitches, 36 were strikes. Eleven of the 15 outs were grounders. She forced six one-pitch outs.

"They were really aggressive hitters," Morton said. "They were hitting the first pitch. I was usually throwing the dropball, so they were hitting groundouts. We just went with that."

It was 7-0 when Robinson powered a towering home run in the bottom of the fourth.

"It was right down the middle," Robinson said. "We had seven runs. We needed to finish the game."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.