FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii's Kaulana Gould stole second yesterday after New Mexico State shortstop Stephanie Herrera dropped the ball.

Robinson untouchable against Aggies

Although Kate Robinson hadn't started a game all season, Hawaii softball coach Bob Coolen had a hunch New Mexico State's batters might have a tough time hitting the sophomore right-hander.

Robinson rewarded Coolen for trusting his gut feeling, delivering a six-inning perfect game to complete UH's doubleheader sweep of the Aggies yesterday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Robinson, who had thrown just 7 1/3 innings this season, struck out 14 of the 18 NMSU hitters she faced in UH's 8-0 victory. The game was shortened to six innings due to the mercy rule.

The Kamehameha graduate was used primarily as a reliever last year and didn't know until late in yesterday's first game that she'd make her second career start.

"Nobody knew who was starting so we were just standing around waiting," Robinson said. "I really didn't think it was going to be me.

"I didn't really believe it was happening, but I was happy (Coolen) gave me a chance and I hope I showed him that I can do it."

UH (23-14, 7-1 WAC) won the opener 2-0 behind freshman Justine Smethurst's five-hit, complete-game performance, and gave Robinson ample support early in the second to maintain its hold on first place in the WAC.

The Wahine ended the game with back-to-back homers in the bottom of the sixth. Tyleen Tausaga followed Brandi Peiler's two-run shot with a blast over the center-field fence.

"You could tell Ty was going to hit one out," Robinson said. "She had that look in her eye."

The early finish sealed Robinson's perfect game -- UH's third of the season -- but left her one strike out short of the school record of 15 set by Brooke Wilkins in 1994. She ended her outing by striking out the last six batters she faced.

With Smethurst firing fastballs past the Aggies (22-15, 5-4) in the first game, Coolen felt Robinson's movement would give the Aggies problems in the series finale.

"We were toying with the idea that her drop ball would complement (Smethurst)," Coolen said. "In practice she's really been popping the ball. So that's why my gut feeling was let's go with her."

Robinson started all 18 hitters with a strike, then got the Aggies to chase pitches bending out of the zone.

"Usually her drop is her pitch," UH catcher Kristi Yoshizawa said. "But today everything was working and I think that's what helped with all the strike outs because they didn't know what to expect. She kept them off-guard the whole time."

Robinson said she started thinking about a perfect game "toward the fourth or fifth inning when I started feeling stronger and got more comfortable."

"I didn't want to talk to her the whole game," Yoshizawa said, "because she looked really focused and I didn't want to mess her up or jinx her."

After being shut out by NMSU's Sarah Seagraves on Friday to end a seven-game winning streak, the Wahine knocked her out of the game early by scoring twice in the first inning and adding three more runs in the second.

"We were more aggressive," said shortstop Valana Manuma, who drove in two runs with a double in the second. "We were pumped up for this game."

In the opener, UH scratched out single runs in the fourth and sixth innings as Smethurst struck out four to improve to 11-8.

Clare Warwick scored both of UH's runs. She led off the fourth with a double down the third-base line and scored on a throwing error by NMSU shortstop Stephanie Herrera on Tanisha Milca's grounder. She then added the insurance run on a double-steal in the sixth.

UH has week off before resuming WAC play at nationally ranked Fresno State (24-13, 4-1) April 21-22, and don't play at home again until Utah State comes to town May 5-6 to close the regular season.