HIRAM, OHIO  --  The Hiram College baseball team dropped both games against Kenyon College, 8-1 and 17-1, in the North Coast Athletic Conference and home opener at Robert O. Fishel Field.

With the losses, the Terriers fall to 8-9 overall and 0-2 in the NCAC.  The Lords improve to 13-5 overall and 2-0 NCAC.

In game one, Kenyon took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the second inning on a RBI single.  The Lords later blew the game open with a five-run fourth inning that included a two-RBI single and a three-run homerun to make the score 6-0.  Hiram got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the fourth on a RBI single by freshman outfielder Jeff Segal (West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield) with two outs.  The Terriers would also have bases loaded later in the inning, but could not score any additional runs to trail 6-1 after four innings of play.  The Kenyon lead remained five runs until the top of the seventh when the Lords padded the lead with a pair of scores to go on to the 8-1 final.

Both teams recorded eight hits in the game, but Hiram would finish the game with four errors defensively.  Sophomore infielder Shane Haidet (Alliance/Marlington) and sophomore outfielder/catcher George Blake (Parma) both went two-of-four at the plate to lead the Terriers.  Blake also added a run scored.

On the mound, junior Mike Lalonde (Willowick/South) started the game and went six innings allowing six runs, none earned, on six hits and had seven strikeouts.  He would also get the loss and is now 1-2 overall for the season.  Freshman Tre Carpenter (Akron/Kenmore) came on to pitch the final inning giving up two runs on two hits and posted a strikeout.

In the second game, the Lords struck first again with two runs in the top of the second to take the 2-0 lead.  Hiram crossed the plate once in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Paul Yoculan (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) to cut the deficit in half with the score of 2-1.  Kenyon went to add two runs in the third and three in the fourth to increase the margin to 7-1.  The score remained the same until the top of the ninth inning when Kenyon scored 10 runs on its way to a 17-1 victory.

Hiram recorded 10 hits in the game, but it would be the defense that would struggle again with six errors.  Two Terriers posted a pair of hits with senior All-NCAC infielder Torrey Stimson (Hudson/Walled Lake, Mich.) going two-of-three and freshman infielder Mark Leone (Boardman) recorded a two-for-four effort.

On the mound, senior John Colla (Austintown/Ursuline) started the game and pitched two innings giving up four runs on two hits.  He also suffered the loss, dropping him to 1-2 on the season.  Three other Hiram pitchers saw action with freshmen J.T. Taylor (Niles) and Nate Weiss (Warren, Mich./University Liggett) both lasting three innings.  Taylor allowed three runs on six hits while Weiss gave up seven runs, two earned, on eight hits.  Both also had one strikeout.  Junior Eric Cameron (Akron/Green) finished the game allowing three runs, none earned, on three hits and had one strikeout.

Hiram is scheduled to host non-conference opponent the University of Mount Union on Wednesday, Mar. 28 in a single nine-inning game at Fishel Field.  The game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.