GREENCASTLE, Indiana - May 12, 2023 - Hiram will be playing in the championship of the NCAC Tournament for the third straight season, as the Terriers pitching staff was dominant over 11 innings and Darian Kanno hit game-tying and go-ahead RBI singles as part of a 5-4 marathon victory over Denison on Friday afternoon at DePauw Tigers Field.
The win locks up the Terriers' spot in the championship round, which is currently scheduled for Sunday at 1:30 p.m. from the same location. Hiram's opponent is still to be determined. The double-elimination format of the tournament means that Hiram will have two opportunities to take home a second consecutive tournament title.
Hiram elevated its game in the high-leverage moments and maintained its composure throughout the 11-inning game. The offense came through when it was down to its last out, the defense held strong over the three hours of action and the pitching staff stranded the winning run on third base twice.
It started and ended with Kanno, who lined a two-out, game-tying RBI single to first base to level the score at 4-4 in the seventh inning. Four innings later, the sophomore conquered the spotlight again with a go-ahead RBI single to left field to give her team a 5-4 advantage in the 11th inning. She then pitched and shut it down with her 1st save of the season (3rd career save) in the bottom half of the frame.
Kanno tied a career-high with 4 hits in the game and batted .700 (7-10) with 4 RBI over the two tournament games. She will enter Sunday riding an 8-game hitting streak, which includes 6 multi-hit efforts.
The relief tandem of Trinity Meza and Jeskari Rodriguez also stood out in the nail-biting moments, as they stranded the winning run on third base in both the seventh and ninth innings. Rodriguez worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, elevating a fastball by a swinging Denison hitter to keep her team alive in the thrilling affair.
In the 11th inning, Larissa Baeza advanced to second base on a well-placed bunt by Danielle Robles. Giselle Bahena's opposite-field approach produced a single to put runners at the corners with two outs. That set the stage for Kanno, who would find the sweet spot of the bat for an RBI single to break the 4-4 tie that had stood for three-and-a-half innings.
Kanno was then called upon to pitch and hold the lead in the bottom of the 11th. In commanding fashion, she got the final two outs of the game, including a strikeout with the tying run at second base.
The Terriers aren't strangers to marathon games this season; the team battled over three hours on April 19 against Westminster before falling just short, 2-1, in 11 innings. Hiram had also played hard against Aurora on March 10 in Winter Haven, Florida, doing everything it could to win a lengthy contest before narrowly losing, 6-5, in 9 innings.
Those games proved to be stepping stones to a clutch effort in the NCAC Tournament on Friday.
Stay followed to HiramTerriers.com and @Hiram_Athletics on Twitter for updates regarding Hiram's next opponent and a confirmed start time for the championship round on Sunday.
