Amberly Waits went 3 for 4 with a home run and Meghan Krieg pitched a six-hitter to lift Louisiana Tech to a 7-1 victory over Hawai'i yesterday in an opening-round game of the Western Athletic Conference softball tournament at Fresno, Calif.

The Rainbow Wahine (29-23) will play the loser of today's Fresno State-Boise State game in an elimination game at 1:45 p.m. Hawai'i time.

UH's Stephanie Ricketts, the WAC freshman of the year, suffered the loss. She allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, in four innings.

Waits, the WAC player of the year, had a two-run double in the third inning to break a scoreless tie. She hit a bases-empty home run in the sixth inning that gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.

Krieg struck out eight to earn the win.

Hawai'i's run came on Julie Franklin's solo shot in the top of the seventh.