CLERMONT, Fla. - March 9, 2022 – Hiram College softball picked up a pair of wins at The Spring Games on Wednesday, defeating Ursinus in their first game of the day, 6-5, before rolling past Emmanuel, 9-2, in their second game at the Legends Way Ballfields – Field 4. With the two wins, the Terriers move to 3-2 on the season.
GAME 1: Hiram College 6, Ursinus College 5
After
Jeskari Rodriguez left the bases loaded in the top of the first, Hiram came to the plate in the bottom of the first and quickly took the lead. A hit-by-pitch put
Darian Kanno on first for
Giselle Bahena, who singled through the right side to put runners at the corners.
After Bahena stole second, a fielder's choice kept the Terriers off the scoreboard for a second, but a dropped fly ball off the bat of Fayth Kawaramura brought a pair home to give the Terriers a 2-0 lead.
Ursinus again threatened by did not score in the top of the second and third, as Rodriguez worked around a pair of walks in the second, and a one-out single in the third.
However, after the Terriers went down in order in the bottom of the third, the Bears tied things up in the fourth. A single and a wild pitch put a runner at second, but Rodriguez got the next two batters via a popout and strikeout. The next two batters though, got to Rodriguez with an RBI triple and RBI single, tying the score at 2-all.
The Terriers though quickly answered and retook the lead in the bottom of the frame.
Angel Santellan led off the fourth with a double, but a lineout double-play erased both base runners.
Kylie Perez then smashed a triple to right-center and came around to score on Rodriguez's RBI single to give Hiram a 3-2 lead.
Back-to-back singles then by
Giselle Chavez and
Melissa Galindo loaded the bases for
Abriana Schwartz, who cleared them with a three-run double, following a pitching change, to extend Hiram's lead to 6-2.
Ursinus though, cut Hiram's lead down to three in the top of the fifth on Amanda Panati's sacrifice fly, before pulling within one on Ally St. Jean's two-run double in the top of the sixth.
Kanno though relieved Rodriguez and got Maddie Solow to ground out to end the threat and keep the Terriers up by one, before nailing down save in the top of the seventh, working around a pair of base runners and striking out Mackenzie Brennan to give the Terriers a 6-5 victory.
Rodriguez (1-0) earned the win for the Terriers, striking out three over 5.2 innings pitched, while Kanno earned her first career save, striking out one in 1.1 innings pitched.
For the Bears, Kayla McTamney (2-1) took the loss, allowing six runs, four earned, on seven hits over 3.2 innings pitched.
Schwartz led the Terriers at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI, while Santellan went 1-for-3 with a double and run scored, and Perez went 1-for-3 with a triple and run scored.
GAME 2: Hiram College 9, Emmanuel College 2
After a 30-plus minute lightning delay, the Terriers and Saints resumed play midway through the first inning.
The Terriers left a runner on in the top of the first, before
Trinity Meza, making her first collegiate start, working around a leadoff walk and one-out hit-by-pitch to strand Olivia Conti at third and keep things scoreless through one.
Both teams then went 1-2-3 in the second, before Hiram struck first in the top of the third.
Avery Balurdi led off the frame with a hit-by-pitch and took second on a wild pitch.
Melissa Galindo walked to put runners at first and second, and a batter later, Kanno loaded the bases with a single to right. Bahena then broke the scoreless tie with a two-run single, scoring Galindo and Schwartz, and Santellan executed a suicide squeeze to perfection, scoring Kanno from third to make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the third, Meza worked around a pair of base runners, keeping the Saints off the scoreboard. But after the Terriers left one on in the fourth, Emmanuel got on the scoreboard, cutting Hiram's lead to just one.
Two walks and an error loaded the bases for the Saints, prompting Hiram to make a pitching change and bring Santellan in from the bullpen. Santellan struck out Kiana Hinson, but a single and a throwing error brought home the Saints' first two runs of the game, before a pickoff by the Terriers ended the inning with Hiram still out in front, 3-2.
And the Terriers quickly responded, extending their lead in the top of the fifth. Schwartz drew a leadoff walk, and Kanno followed with a double to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Bahena made it 4-2 with a sacrifice fly to right, and Santellan legged out a single to short, scoring Kanno to make it a three-run Terrier lead.
Santellan then stranded a pair in the bottom of the fifth, stabbing Grace Orcutt's hard-hit grounder to end the frame and send Hiram back to the plate in the sixth.
Galindo led off the sixth with a walk and stole second. After a popout and flyout, Bahena reached on an error, moving Galindo to third. Bahena then stole second, putting runners at second and third for Santellan, who brought a pair home, reaching on an error to extend Hiram's lead to 7-2.
Perez and Kawamura then followed with a pair of singles up the middle, scoring Santellan to make it an 8-2 lead.
The Terriers would add another run on Rodriguez's RBI single in the top of the seventh, extending their lead to 9-2, before Santellan shut the door in the bottom of the frame, working a 1-2-3 seventh to pick up the victory.
Santellan (2-0) earned the win, striking out three in 3.2 innings pitched, while Meza allowed just two unearned runs on one hit, striking out three over 3.1 innings pitched.
Brenna Whittaker (1-1) took the loss for Emmanuel, allowing eight runs, five earned, on seven hits over 5.2 innings pitched.
At the plate, Bahena went 1-for-3 with a walk, run scored and three RBI, while Santellan went 1-or-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Both Kanno and Perez added two hits, with Kanno scoring a pair.
The Terriers are back in action on Friday, March 10 when they take on Bethany (W. Va.) and Messiah at 3:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex – Field 3 in Leesburg, Fla.
