HIRAM, Ohio - April 14, 2022 – Hiram College softball split their North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) home opener against the Denison University Big Red on Thursday at Myrtis E. Herndon Field, picking up a 4-2 victory in game one before falling short by the final score of 7-6 in game two. With the doubleheader split, the Terriers move to 9-10 (2-2 NCAC) on the year, while the Big Red move to 12-14 (3-2 NCAC).
 
GAME ONE: HIRAM 4, DENISON 2
After Darian Kanno worked around a two-out walk in the top of the first, Melissa Galindo led off the bottom of the frame with a double and quickly got the Terriers on the scoreboard.
 
Kylie Perez followed Galindo's double with a single through the right side and then Giselle Bahena laid down a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt, scoring Galindo from third to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead.
 
A batter later, Abrianna Schwartz found the grass with a single through the left side of the Big Red infield, scoring Perez from third to extend Hiram's lead to 2-0.
 
Kanno kept things rolling in the circle, striking out a pair and working around a two-out double in the second, before pitching a 1-2-3 top of the third.
 
Both teams went in order in the fourth, with Kanno turning a 1-3 double play before the Terriers extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Leah Valdez led off the frame with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on Perez's groundout. Bahena then legged out an infield single, scoring Valdez to make it a 3-0 Hiram lead.
 
Kanno then worked another 1-2-3 frame, and the Terriers added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame. Schwartz led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk and was pinch ran for by Avery Balurdi. Balurdi was tagged out trying to score on Jeskari Rodriguez's double, but then Hunter Whitton, pinch-running for Rodriguez, scored on a Denison fielding error to make it 4-0 in favor of the Terriers.
 
Down to their final three outs, the Big Red rallied against Kanno in the top of the seventh, loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Kanno struck out Jacqui Abogado looking for a big, first punch out, but Abby Arabia followed with a single to center to score a run and cut Hiram's lead to 4-1.
 
Kanno then got the next batter, Allie Kovatch, swinging, but Jessica Hopkins stole home to make a 4-2 lead. However, Kanno then struck out Claire Powell to strike out the side, strand a pair and finish off the 4-2 victory for the Terriers.
 
Kanno (1-4) earned her first collegiate win, allowing two runs on five hits, walking four and striking out nine over 7.0 innings pitched. Sydney Silverstein (6-6) took the loss for Denison, allowing four runs on seven hits over 6.0 innings pitched.
 
Seven Terriers recorded hits, led by Bahena, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Galindo, Rodriguez and Santellan each notched a double, while Valdez tallied three walks, a stolen base and a run scored.
 
GAME TWO: DENISON 7, HIRAM 6
Powell led off the top of the first for the Big Red with a triple to right-center and came around to score on Sam Kline's sacrifice fly, giving Denison an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Terriers would threaten in the bottom of the frame, putting a pair of base runners on second and third following a walk, fielder's choice and error, but Lexi Knipp got Schwartz to fly out to end the threat and keep Denison up 1-0.
 
However, after Rodriguez then stranded a pair in the top of the second, Hiram rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the frame. Angel Santellan led off the bottom of the second with a single and was pinch-ran for by Viviana Macias.
 
Knipp got the next two batters via the strikeout, but Valdez then tied the score at one-all with an RBI double to left-center. Galindo then found the outfield grass as well, bringing Valdez home with an RBI single to make it a 2-1 Terrier lead.
 
And after Galindo stole second, Perez tripled to right-center, scoring Galindo from second to make it a 3-1 Hiram lead.
 
However, the Big Red came right back to tie the score in the top of the third, taking advantage of an error to even the score at 3-3. Powell led off the third with a single and took third on a pair of groundouts. Caitlin Ellwanger then reached on an error, scoring Powell from third to make it 3-2, and Hopkins brought home Ellwanger with an RBI single to make it 3-3.
 
Hiram then looked to answer in the bottom of the third, but Sophia Parpala, who relieved Knipp to start the frame, stranded runners and first and third to keep the score at three-all.
 
The Terriers again left runners on in the bottom of the fourth, as Parpala got a big strikeout looking to strand runners at second and third, and Denison responded to take the lead in the fifth.
 
With two outs and a runner on second, Hopkins smacked a triple to right-center, scoring Kline from second to give the Big Red a 4-3 lead. Denison then took advantage of two dropped fly balls to add two more, taking a 6-3 lead headed to the bottom of the fifth.
 
Hiram would get one back on Trinity Meza's RBI double, scoring Santellan, in the bottom of the frame, by Denison would come right back to again make it a three-run game on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth.
 
Galindo led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and stole second, coming around to score on Bahena's RBI single to make it 7-5 as the Terriers looked to once again cut into Denison's lead. Kanno then followed Bahena with an RBI single of her own, scoring Bahena from second to make it a one-run ballgame.
 
The Big Red then made another pitching change, bringing in Silverstein for a potential save opportunity, but Giselle Chavez singled to right to put the go-ahead run on base. Santellan then reached on a fielder's choice and Rodriguez singled to center, but Chavez was cut down trying to score from third, ending the inning with the Big Red still in front, 7-6.
 
Rodriguez worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh to give Hiram a chance to tie or walk off, but Silverstein matched her in the bottom of the frame, striking out a pair to nail down the save and finish off the 7-6 victory for the Big Red.
 
Parpala (6-1) earned the win for Denison, allowing three runs on six hits over 3.1 innings pitched, while Silverstein picked up her third save, striking out two over 1.2 innings pitched.
 
Rodriguez (4-5) took the loss for Hiram, allowing seven runs, three earned, on seven hits, striking out five over 7.0 innings pitched.
 
Galindo led the Terriers at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Valdez went 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI. Santellan and Meza each added a double as well, with Santellan going 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Perez notched her fourth triple of the year.
 
Hiram also added five stolen bases, two each from Bahena and Galindo, and another from Macias.
 
The Terriers next travel to Wooster, Ohio for a conference doubleheader against The College of Wooster Fighting Scots on Saturday, April 16. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.