BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - March 9, 2020 – Hiram Terriers softball dropped a doubleheader to the Birmingham Southern College Panthers to wrap up their six-game road trip on Monday at BSC Softball Park. The Terriers dropped game one, 6-2, before falling just short in game two by the final score of 2-1. Hiram falls to 2-8, while the Panthers move to 12-4.

GAME 1: Birmingham Southern 6, Hiram 2
After three scoreless innings from Kaitlyn Hager and Lauren Keplinger, Birmingham Southern struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Charley Clark reached first on a fielding error and took second, advanced to third on a Sam Hilyer's sacrifice bunt and scored on Alyssa Fowler's RBI single up the middle to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers then added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for Clark, who again reached on a fielding error, scoring Mallory Muss from third to extend Birmingham Southern's lead to 2-0. Hilyer then made it 3-0 with an RBI single to center, scoring Madison Plunkett from third.

The Terriers though, came right back with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles from Hager and Victoria Garcia put two on for Giselle Bahena, who advanced the duo into scoring position with a groundout to third. Mariah Sheffield and Rebekah Lewan then slapped RBI singles, scoring both Hager and Garcia to cut Birmingham Southern's lead to 3-2.

However, the Panthers came right back with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the frame, capped off by Bailey Murphey's two-run homer to left-center, extending their lead to 6-2.

And though Giselle Chavez struck a two-out single in the top of the seventh, Keplinger got a groundout to end the inning and give Birmingham Southern a 6-2 victory.

Hager (1-2) took the loss for the Terriers, allowing six runs, three earned, on 11 hits. Keplinger (4-2) earned the win for the Panthers.

Garcia and Sheffield each tallied two hits to lead the Terriers, while Garcia going 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Sheffield going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

GAME 2: Birmingham Southern 2, Hiram 1
The Panthers scored a pair of runs to take an early lead in the bottom of the first. Morgan McGuire led off the inning with a single and took second on Saydee Keith's sacrifice bunt. Madison Plunkett moved McGuire to third with a groundout to short before Murphy launched her second two-run blast of the doubleheader, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

After a two-run first though, Bailey Scheck held the Panthers to just three hits the rest of the way, walking one and striking out there.

However, the Terriers weren't able to take advantage, leaving five runners on base over the first six frames.

In the top of the seventh, Lauryn Olguin drew a one-out walk, Chavez singled to center and Garcia singled to load the bases. Bahena drew a walk to cut Birmingham Southern's lead in half, but Annie Clayton got a groundout to end the threat and pull out a 2-1 victory for the Panthers.

Scheck (1-4) took the loss for the Terriers, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings pitched, while Clayton (4-2) earned the win for the Panthers.

Garcia went 3-for-4 with a double to lead the Terriers, while Bahena went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Hager went 2-for-4.

The Terriers will next open another six-game road trip on Thursday, March 12 when they travel to the LC Softball Complex in LaGrange, Ga. for a doubleheader against the Panthers beginning at 5:00 p.m.