By: Andrew Korba

GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Hiram College baseball team split a doubleheader at Kenyon to open NCAC play on Sunday.

The Terriers (5-12, 1-1) won Game 1 in a slugfest by a 17-14 score but dropped the nightcap to the host Lords (11-7, 1-1) 15-2.

In the first game, the Terriers got a RBI groundout from senior Mark Leone (Boardman) to score first. Freshman Kyle Watson (Warren/Howland) also got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give Hiram a 2-0 lead.

Kenyon came storming back in the bottom of the frame, scoring six runs to take a 6-2 lead.

But the Terriers came right back with four runs in the second, capped off by three consecutive RBI doubles from freshman Phil Ward (Garfield Heights), junior Trevor Foster (Warren/Champion) and Leone to knot the score at 6-6.

The Lords plated a run in the bottom of the second to take the lead back at 7-6. 

Hiram tied the score at 7-7 in the third on a bases loaded walk by Foster, but the Lords answered with three more runs to retake a 10-7 lead.

The Terriers added two runs in the fourth and Kenyon responded with a run of its own to open up a 11-9 lead.

Hiram took the lead for good in the sixth, getting RBI hits from sophomore Eric Martin (Brookfield), sophomore Ty Walchanowicz (Garfield Heights) and senior Jaren Bell (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) in 5-run frame to jump in front 14-11.

The Terriers tacked on three more runs in the seventh, when senior Jeff Segal (West Bloomfield, Mich./North Farmington) laced a bases loaded double that scored all three runners.

The Lords would score three runs in the seventh and brought the game winning run to the plate, but Bell was able to induce a strikeout to end the game.

Bell and Segal paced the Hiram offense with three hits apiece. Sophomore Clayton Torok (Kirtland) gave up two earned runs over four innings of work to pick up his first win of the season.

In the second game, the Terriers struck in the first inning again, scoring twice to take a 2-0 lead.

From there it was all Kenyon, as the Lords reeled off 15 unanswered runs, including a nine run fourth inning in the 15-2 win.

The game was called in the seventh inning due to darkness.

The two teams will meet play another doubleheader on Tuesday as a makeup of Saturday's postponment. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.