Life isn't perfect. It only seems that way to University of Hawai'i softball pitchers.

Last night, freshman Justine Smethurst pitched a perfect game — her second and UH's fourth this season — in a 6-0 Western Athletic Conference victory over Utah State at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

"I can't believe it," Smethurst said. "My teammates couldn't have done a better job. They made incredible plays. It was everybody's perfect game."

Smethurst benefitted from second baseman Alana Power's leaping catch, shortstop Valana Manuma's running grab of a soft liner, and a controversial groundout. In the fourth, Utah State's Sara Fleming hit a drive to center. Kaulana Gould fielded the ball and fired to first baseman Tyleen Tausaga. Fleming was called out, although a television replay appeared to show Fleming out-racing the putout. The umpires said it was a "bang-bang" play, and from their view, Fleming was out.

"We got the out, that's all I can say," Tausaga said. "I'm not going to grumble."

Smethurst added: "It was a fantastic play, anyway. The play was great. It couldn't have been done any better."

Smethurst also was spectacular, mixing a 65-mph riser with a spasm-inducing dropball. Smethurst had felt comfortable enough that she only threw once during this week's practices.

"She felt she had her rhythm, that her (right) arm was live," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "I don't really push our pitchers to throw every day if they're feeling comfortable."

But during pregame warm-ups in the bullpen, Smethurst had difficulty controlling her dropball. Under Coolen's instructions, catcher Kristi Yoshizawa asked Smethurst to release pitches with her hand near her right thigh.

"When she starts flailing, that's when she has a tendency to throw all over the place," Coolen said.

By the end of the first inning, it was apparent the Aggies could do little against Smethurst's dropball, a "heavy" pitch that descends sharply about three feet from the plate.

Smethurst threw 94 pitches, 65 for strikes. She had 3-2 counts to three batters, including Amy Schaible's 11-pitch at-bat featuring five consecutive foul balls.

"She kept throwing them in there," Coolen said of Smethurst's duel with Schaible. "She could have had a mental lapse, but no, she was focused. She knew what she needed to do. You could see her focus on the whole process and not the outcome, and that was good."

Smethurst said: "When I was behind (in the count), I was focusing on the next pitch. I imagined it in my head, and then pitching it."

Brandi Peiler and Tausaga hit back-to-back homers for the fifth time this season.

"Every time Brandi hits a homer before me, I think, 'Any way to get on is good,' " Tausaga said. "I guess I get lucky and hit one, too. Then I act like we planned it."

UTAH ST. (7-37, 2-13) 000 000 0-0 0 2

HAWAI'I (26-19, 8-6) 000 402 X-6 9 0

Heather Straight and Sara Fleming. Justine Smethurst and Kristi Yoshizawa. W-Smethurst. L-Straight.

Leading hitters-UH: Valana Manuma 2-4; Alana Power 2-2, 2 RBIs; Tyleen Tausaga homer; Brandi Peiler homer; Yoshizawa double.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.