Playing on a wounded knee, Tyleen Tausaga slammed a decisive two-run homer in the fifth to lift Hawai'i to a 6-5 softball victory over 15th-ranked Nebraska yesterday.

The host Rainbow Wahine finished third in the four-day Oceanic Time Warner Cable Hawai'i Paradise Classic.

The Rainbows' 5-1 start is their best since 2001. The Cornhuskers fell to 4-3.

Tausaga's second homer of the season forced coach Bob Coolen to put the blue pencil to his planned post-game comments.

"I was ready to give a different kind of speech," Coolen said after the Rainbows committed six errors in the first 3 1/2 innings. "It was the last day of the tournament. I knew we were going to be tired, but I didn't know we would fall apart that much."

Shortstop Valana Manuma committed two errors, and starting pitcher Kate Robinson threw too late to third instead of getting the sure out at first during the Cornhuskers' four-run third.

"That's where my speech would have started," Coolen said. "That one play (by Robinson) set them up, and they almost put us away."

But in the bottom of the fifth, with UH down 5-4, Kaulana Gould coaxed a leadoff walk from reliever Ashley DeBuhr.

That brought up the left-handed Tausaga, the Rainbows' cleanup hitter.

"They didn't know where to pitch to Tyleen," Coolen said. "They kept going outside, outside. Finally she stayed on it, rather than off of it, and the wind was blowing out to left at that time."

Tausaga drove a liner over the wall in left-center field.

For Tausaga, who is suffering from a torn meniscus in her left knee, the least-taxing gait is a home-run trot.

"I'm trying to make it easier on myself with the whole running thing," Tausaga mused. "I'm not trying for the home runs, but they're coming. I'm enjoying them."

With DeBuhr pitching to the outside corners, Tausaga recalled, "I kept hogging the plate and letting my hands work. The pitch was outside, I swung, and it went out."

After being used as the designated player in the first five games, Tausaga opened at first base yesterday. That was because Robinson, who doubles as a first baseman, was pitching and freshman Amanda Taualii still is adjusting to Division I competition.

"I needed a stabilizing force out there, and Tyleen gave us that," Coolen said.

So, too, did Jessica Morton, who has emerged as dependable reliever. Morton pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing one hit, to improve to 2-0.

"I like being in the closer role," Morton said. "I like the pressure, knowing I have to go in and win the game."

Morton has the widest menu of pitches on the staff. "I wanted to mix it up," Morton said.

She credits her long fingernails, which are strengthened by an acrylic polish.

"It helps with my curve and all of the balls I throw like this," said Morton, who grips the softball at the laces. "It makes (the pitches) slip off better."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.