Hawai'i's run in the Western Athletic Conference Softball Tournament — and likely its postseason hopes — ended in heartbreaking fashion last night as the Rainbow Wahine advanced to the semifinals with an impressive 6-1 win over arch-rival Fresno State, only to fall to regular-season champion Nevada in the final inning of the nightcap, 2-1.

UH head coach Bob Coolen said earlier in the day that his team likely needed to advance to the championship to get a postseason berth.

Earlier in the day, Louisiana Tech beat Nevada, 4-3, to advance to the championship. The two teams play again today at 2 p.m. If Nevada wins, they'll face Louisiana Tech a third time to decide the championship.

Louisiana Tech's success in the tournament put Hawai'i in a precarious position.

Nevada (42-15) and Fresno State (51-11) have likely already punched their postseason tickets and it's far from guaranteed that three teams from the WAC will get berths. If Louisiana Tech wins, Hawai'i is almost assuredly out of the equation. Even if Louisiana Tech loses, Coolen said the chances of Hawai'i making it are slim.

"We needed to get to tomorrow to make a statement," he said. "For all intents and purposes, we're on the outside looking in right now. There has to be a lot happening around the nation this weekend, in every tournament in play, where the favorites have to win and there can't be a lot of upsets. Once you have the upsets, that takes away a seed and there are only a few left."

Fresno State took an early lead against UH on a solo homer by Haley Gilleland in the first inning.

But the Rainbow Wahine caught fire in the third. Brandi Peiler reached on a fielding error by right fielder Lisamarie Coronado. Kate Robinson then jumped on the first pitch to her and sent it over center-field fence for a two-run homer and a 2-1 UH advantage.

UH then loaded the bases on a single by Clair Warwick and walks to Valana Manuma and Audrey Andrade. FSU pitcher Megan Melloh walked Katie Grimes to score Warwick and Tanisha Milca's single to left field brought home Manuma.

Melloh was replaced by Ryane Petersen, who got Kaulana Gould to ground out to end the inning.

Hawai'i added another run in the fourth on a single by Warwick that scored Peiler from third.

In the sixth, Milica scored from second on a single by Gould.

Robinson, UH's only starting pitcher, scattered three hits over seven innings for the win. Melloh suffered the loss.

Peiler batted 3 for 4 and Warwich was 3 for 4 with an RBI.

"We were definitely more aggressive this game," Warwick said. "The first game (a 2-1 loss to Louisiana Tech) definitely woke us up a bit. We've turned caution to the wind and been much more aggressive."

The win set up an evening matchup with regular-season champion Nevada for the right to face Louisiana Tech in the championship.

UH scored its only run in the top of the first when a single by Warwick scored Gould from second base.

That would be the only offense either team would generate until the Wolf Pack took the plate in the seventh.

With one out and the bases loaded, Nevada's Sarah Hunt smacked a single down the middle to score Sam Bias.

Hunt's hit, and the two hits and a walk that preceded it, ended a long and otherwise impressive day for Robinson.

Reliever Jessica Morton gave up the winning hit to the next batter as Noelle Micka hit a screaming low liner into right-center and Kelsey Starr scored to give the Wolf Pack the win before a disbelieving UH crowd.

"That's been our problem right there all year — closing out games," Coolen said. "Kate pitched her heart out and you hope that the seventh inning would be like all the other innings, but obviously it wasn't meant to be."

Robinson gave up six hits and two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. Nevada's Katie Holverson gave up just two hits and one run in seven innings for the win.

"We played a great game all the way up to the seventh inning," Peiler said. "Now, we can only wish that we get into the postseason, but it doesn't look like that will happen."

For Peiler, a senior, the thought of last night being her final collegiate game was difficult to comprehend.

"It's kind of overwhelming," she said. "It doesn't seem real. We expected to play tomorrow, and it just didn't sink in yet.

"It will."