LEESBURG, Fla. - March 7, 2022 – Hiram softball picked up its first win of the year on its second day at The Spring Games, defeating Illinois College, 13-1, before falling in a tight contest to The College of Saint Benedict, 2-1, on Monday at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex in Leesburg, Fla. With the split, the Terriers move to 1-2 on the year.
 
GAME 1: Hiram College 13, Illinois College 1
With runs in each of the first three frames, the Terriers struck first and quickly extended their early lead. Back-to-back walks drawn by Darian Kanno and Giselle Bahena and a wild pitch put runners on first and third for Angel Santellan, whose RBI single gave Hiram a 1-0 lead.
 
And after Santellan, with some help from Kylie Perez on a line-out double play, set the Lady Blues down in order in the bottom of the first, the Terriers extended their lead in the top of the second.
 
Fayth Kawamura led off the top of the second with a single, picking up her first collegiate hit. After Giselle Chavez hit into a fielder's choice, Melissa Galindo singled through the right single, putting runners at first and second. One batter later, Giselle Chavez came around to score on Kanno's single up the middle to make it a 2-0 lead.
 
In the top of the third, Santellan led off with a single and was pinch-run for by Viviana Macias. Macias took second on Perez's sacrifice bunt, stole third, and scored on a Lady Blue's throwing error to make it 3-0 in favor of the Terriers.
 
Illinois then threatened in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases on three-straight singles and scoring on Emma Newton's RBI single, cutting Hiram's lead to 3-1. However, Santellan got the next batter swinging and then got a groundout to leave the bases loaded and keep the Terriers in front.
 
Both teams went 1-2-3 in the fourth before Hiram got back on the scoreboard in the fifth. Jeskari Rodriguez led off the top of the fifth with a hit-by-pitch and was replaced by Hunter Whitton as a pinch-runner. With one out, Perez' single moved Whitton to third, and then Whitton scored on the Lady Blue's errant throw into center to extend their lead to 4-1.
 
Santellan worked around a pair of base runners in the bottom of the frame, and the Terriers again added to their lead in the top of the sixth. Galindo led off the frame with a single and stole second, coming around to score on Kanno's RBI single to make it 5-1.
 
And after Santellan again set the Lady Blues down in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Terriers busted things open with an eight-run seventh inning. A pair of singles put two on and nobody out for Kawamura, who singled to second, bringing two runs home as Hiram took advantage of a pair of Illinois' defensive miscues.
 
Two more singles, one by Chavez and one by Galindo, then brought Kawamura home to make it 8-1. Abriana Schwartz then drew a walk to load the bases. Keegan Whitton, pinch-hitting, brought home another run with an RBI groundout, and Bahena drew a walk to again load the bases, this time for Avery Balurdi.
 
Balurdi drew a walk of her own to make it 10-1 Terriers, and Santellan stroked a two-run single up the middle to extend the lead to 12-1. Kawamura then added another run, driving in Balurdi with an RBI single, giving Hiram a 13-1 lead heading into the final frame.
 
Claudia Adam led off the bottom of the seventh for Illinois with a single, and fielding error put two on with one out, but Santellan made quick work of the next two batters, getting a flyout and fielder's choice to wrap up the 13-1 victory.
 
Santellan (1-0) earned the win, allowing just one run on eight hits while striking out five. Julia Drake (0-1) took the loss for Illinois.
 
Santellan also led the Terriers at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a run scored and three RBIs. Four other Terriers notched multiple hits as well, led by three-hit performances by Galindo and Kawamura.
 
Galindo went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, Kawamura went 3-for-4 with a walk, run scored and RBI, Kanno went 2-for-3 with a walk, run scored and RBI and Perez went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
 
Five Terriers also recorded stolen bases in the win, with Galindo, Kawamura, Kanno, Macias and Perez each tallying one.
 
GAME 2: College of Saint Benedict 2, Hiram 1
Both pitchers, Kanno for the Terriers and Addy Bowne for the Bennies, settled down the opposing bats through the first two frames.
 
Kanno worked around a two-out double in the first, before setting down the side in the second, while Bowne stranded three Terriers in the bottom of the second, keeping Hiram from striking first.
 
In the top of the third, a walk and single put runners at first and second for the Bennies, who took advantage of a Hiram miscue to plate a pair. A mishandled groundout allowed the first run to score for Saint Benedict before Megan Erickson's sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
 
However, Kanno got out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout and would go on to hold the Bennies without a run the rest of the way, giving Hiram a chance to respond.
 
The Terriers though, couldn't get anything going till the fourth, when they again loaded the bases, but Bowne set down the next two batters to keep the Bennies up by two.
 
Hiram couldn't get anything going in the fifth but finally broke through in the sixth. Perez drew a leadoff walk, and with one out, Chavez smashed a towering double to left-center, bringing Perez into score to cut the Bennies' lead down to one.
 
Gabby Spencer though, who relieved Bowne in the fifth, got out of the inning without allowing a run, sending things to the seventh.
 
Kanno again kept Saint Benedict from adding insurance runs, striking out Sheridan Glashan to strand a runner at third to give Hiram a chance to tie or walk things off in the bottom of the frame.
 
Schwartz drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the seventh and took second on Kanno's sacrifice bunt. After Bahena popped out, Santellan legged out an infield single to put runners at the corners, but Elly Novak struck out Perez to nail down the save and edge the Terriers, 2-1.
 
Kanno (0-2) took the loss, allowing two unearned runs on six hits, walking one and striking out six. Bowne (3-0) earned the win for the Bennies, while Novak notched her second save.
 
Chavez went 3-for-3 with a double and RBI to lead Hiram at the plate, while Perez went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.
 
Following a day off, the Terriers continue play at The Spring Games, taking on Ursinus and Emmanuel (Mass.) on Wednesday, March 9 at the Legends Way Ballfields, beginning at 10:15 a.m.