By: Andrew Korba

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Hiram College softball team dropped its first two contests of the 2016 season to Carroll (Wis.) and Illinois College at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida on Sunday.

Against Carroll (3-0), senior Jessica Wahl (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) went 2-for4 with a RBI and a run scored.

The Pioneers struck in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead, but Hiram (0-2) had an answer in the bottom half of the frame. Wahl led off the inning with a triple and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by senior Nicole Hoy (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick).

Carroll added a run in the second to jump back in front. The Terriers had another answer, this time getting a RBI single by Wahl to knot the score at 2-2.

From there, Carroll would add a run in the fourth and tacked on two more in the seventh for the 5-2 win.

Senior Meghan Garland (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge) fired a complete game, giving up four earned runs and striking out two batters.

Against Illinois College (2-0), junior Dana Perrotta (New Castle, Pa./New Castle), junior Brittany Zajac (Corry, Pa./Corry) and Wahl all collected two hits.

The Lady Blues scored twice in the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead.

Hiram got a run back in the fifth on a RBI single from junior Heather Pahoresky (Mantua, Ohio/Crestwood) that scored Perrotta.

Illinois College had an answer and scored two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth to take a 6-1 lead.

The Terriers woul put together a rally in the seventh.

Hoy led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a double by Garland.

Following a ground out, Zajac singled and senior Danielle Latine (Eastlake, Ohio/North) drew a walk to load the bases. Freshman Makenzie Dombrowski (Streetsboro, Ohio/Streetsboro) brought home a run with a sac fly to make the score 6-3 in favor of the Lady Blues.

Junior Emily Syrjala (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep) kept the game alive with a single to reload the bases. Wahl came up and singled to drive in Zajac. A wild pitch to the next batter scored Latine and cut the Illinois College lead to 6-5.

With runners on second and third, Perrotta laced a liner that was snagged by the shortstop to end the game and allow the Lady Blues to hang on for the 6-5 win.

Garland threw her second complete game of the day, striking out five batters.

The Terriers will continue play in Florida on Monday, March 7, by taking on Widener (Pa.) at 1:30 p.m. and Defiance at 3:45 p.m.