Tyleen Tausaga blasted a paint-cracking, three-run homer and Kate Robinson pitched her 20th complete game in 21 starts in the University of Hawai'i softball team's 11-3 rout of Utah State yesterday in Logan, Utah.

The outcome reduced the Rainbow Wahine's magic number to one to win their first Western Athletic Conference regular-season title since 2003.

"We're getting close to one of our goals," UH coach Bob Coolen said. The teams meet today in a doubleheader.

Tausaga ignored taunts from USU hecklers to smack her 15th homer of the season in the Rainbows' four-run first. The ball caromed off a freshly painted facade behind the fence in right field.

"I don't know how far it went, but it was far enough to go over the fence," Tausaga said. "I like to win, especially when the fans get on me."

Robinson, who drove in two runs, rebounded after relinquishing three runs in the first. She allowed two hits in the final six innings to improve to 15-0.

Because of the thin air — Logan is 4,452 feet above sea level — Robinson had to adjust her pitching strategy.

"The ball is dry," she said. "My hands are dry. The ball moves differently up here. My drops didn't really work because the air is thin. With a lot of my pitches, I had to make sure I put the ball in the right spot."