CLEVELAND, Ohio - May 20, 2023 - The Hiram softball team made history on Saturday afternoon at Mather Field, beating Mount Union, 4-2, on a 2-run walk-off home run by senior Kylie Perez to clinch the program's first NCAA Regional Title all-time.
The Terriers went a perfect 3-0 this week in the Cleveland Regional, beating Mount Union twice and Case Western Reserve to extend a memorable 2023 season into the final weekend of May. The team has also won three straight games in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
Hiram will be 1 of 16 teams remaining in the NCAA Division III National Championship bracket by the end of the day on Sunday. Next week, head coach Summer Collins and company will play a best-of-three series against Coe College in the program's first Super Regional appearance.
"We're going to rest and enjoy the moment," Collins said after the emotional victory.
Perez emerged with her best game of the tournament, going 3-for-4 with a double and the game-winning home run. She also flashed the leather, notably making a pair of diving plays in the seventh inning to keep the game tied, 2-2.
"We were due with Kylie," Collins said. "I told her on the bus today, 'You are due. Don't give up. Keep pushing.'"
After going hitless in her first two games of the tournament, the senior second baseman delivered on both sides of the ball in clutch fashion. She made a pair of full-extension plays to her glove side to record the first and third outs in the top of the seventh inning before lifting a fly ball over the left-field fence to send her team to the Super Regionals in the bottom of the frame.
"It's just really special," Collins said. "We work on defense a lot (as a team), so I'm happy it worked out."
The late-game magic came after another dominant outing in the circle for Trinity Meza, who finished with a final line of 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 2 K. The junior ended the Regional with just that 1 earned run allowed over 11.2 innings pitched, fueling her team for a strong start and finish to the week.
Hiram was first to break the scoring barrier in the second inning; Darian Kanno lifted a solo home run to right-center field, her 2nd of the NCAA Tournament and 7th of the 2023 season. Those 7 home runs now stand alone as the third-most in a single season in Hiram program history (Jessica Bolanz, 9 HR in 2013 and 8 HR in 2011).
The Purple Raiders tied the game in the sixth inning, 1-1, thanks to an RBI double by their starting pitcher, Kendyll Cahill. Hiram wasted no time in regaining the lead, with Abriana Schwartz lifting a sacrifice fly to score Perez from third base in the home half of the inning.
The back-and-forth nature of the game stayed true to form in the seventh; Mount Union again leveled the score thanks to an RBI single down the right-field line, but Perez's defense would keep the game tied, 2-2. Perez made two diving stops to her left side, keeping the ball in the infield and throwing out a pair of runners to halt the momentum.
Mount Union was on the cusp of sending the game to extra innings, as Cahill retired the first two Hiram hitters in the bottom of the seventh. Hiram had other plans, though, as Fayth Kawamura drew a 5-pitch walk and Perez stepped in the box, just moments after putting on a defensive clinic at second base.
Two pitches later… and Hiram had officially made history.
Perez connected on a 1-0 pitch for her 2nd home run of the season and the 6th of her career. The ball hung in the Cleveland sky – silencing a crowd of 370 fans for a brief moment – before landing beyond the left-field fence.
The Hiram fans erupted. The Terriers dugout emptied and gathered around home plate. Perez rounded third and scored the final run of the weekend. The team's 27th win of the 2023 season had booked their first ever trip to the Super Regionals.
Coe College was in Whitewater, Wisconsin this week and won 4 of its 5 games to also advance in the NCAA Tournament bracket. They beat Wisconsin-Whitewater twice on Saturday, 13-4 and 3-2, to secure a berth in the best-of-three Super Regional round against Hiram.
Details for the Super Regionals will be unveiled as they are made available. Follow HiramTerriers.com and @Hiram_Athletics for updates regarding the team's schedule.
