TEMPE, Ariz. — Living by the long ball.

Hawai'i scored all of its runs via the home run last night, beating No. 25 Mississippi State, 7-4, in an elimination game in an NCAA Regional at Arizona State University. The Rainbow Wahine hit four homers yesterday and three Friday off the Bulldogs.

"I don't know what it is with us with that team, but it elicits a response from our hitters," Hawai'i coach Bob Coolen said. "They're seeing the ball real well off the pitchers Mississippi State throws at us. It's just something against this team. The ball flies off the bat, there's no question."

Hawai'i (40-20) beat Mississippi State (41-22) twice in the weekend regional.

Now the Rainbow Wahine move on to today's 10 a.m. (Hawai'i time) championship round against No. 2 Arizona State, which beat UH, 10-0, earlier yesterday. UH will need to beat ASU (58-5) twice to advance to the Super Regional.

"It's the end of the line," Hawai'i's Kate Robinson said. "We're in survival mode. We're gonna try to make it hard on ASU."

Mississippi State fought back from a three-run deficit to draw within a run in the fifth on Chelsea Bramlett's suicide squeeze bunt and Courtney Bures' run-scoring single to right. But Hawai'i quickly pushed its lead back to three, 7-4, on a two-run homer to center by Clare Warwick.

Robinson hit her 21st home run of the year, a three-run shot to left-center in the bottom of the first, to give the 'Bows a 3-1 lead. Tanisha Milca's solo homer to center in the second made it 4-1.

"That seems to be when we play the best when we get out to an early lead," said Robinson, who picked up the win on the mound. "We just needed a cushion in the beginning."

Robinson (18-9) worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, a walk and two strikeouts. Jessica Morton picked up the save, allowing one hit, no runs and no walks while striking out two over the final 2 1/3 innings.

Mississippi State's Misty Flesher (20-10) took the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits, three walks and four strikeouts in six innings.

Brandi Peiler also homered for the Rainbows. She went 2 for 3. Robinson was 2 for 2 with three RBIs. Warwick, Milca and Andrade each went 1 for 3 for UH.

Bures was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Ali Bainbridge, Chelsea Bramlett and Hayle Guess each had two hits for the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State scored in the first when Bures tagged an RBI single to right-center. She was napping on the basepaths after the run scored, and UH catcher Katie Grimes fired a strike to Audrey Andrade, who tagged Bures to end the inning.

The Rainbow Wahine managed just two hits off ASU All-America pitcher Katie Burkhart in their first-game loss yesterday.

"I think we weren't picking good pitches to hit," Peiler said. "We just have to make that adjustment."

ASU had 15 hits, including home runs by Mindy Cowles and Kristen Miller.

"We made it to Championship Sunday," Coolen said. "Our goal at the beginning of the season was to make to the last day of each tournament. We'd like to put some pressure on ASU."