CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - May 26, 2023 - The Hiram softball team lost Game 1 of its best-of-three Super Regional series to Coe College, 5-0, on Friday afternoon at Clark Softball Field.
The Terriers will play Game 2 against the Kohawks on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET); a win in that game would force a winner-take-all Game 3 for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Finals (final 8 teams in Division III title race).
Trinity Meza didn't allow an earned run over 5 innings of work (2 unearned runs), while the pitching staff as a whole only surrendered 4 hits on the day. The junior has now allowed 1-or-0 earned runs in each of her last 12 outings, which dates back to April 19 against Westminster.
"She believes that she can face one of the top-25 teams in the country and do well and compete," head coach Summer Collins said of Meza. "That's exactly what she did."
Darian Kanno came inches away from hitting a home run before the Coe College center fielder made a leaping grab at the fence in the later stages of the game. It was the deepest batted ball between both teams.
Friday marked the 3rd all-time meeting between the two programs and the first ever Super Regional appearance for both, too.
Coe scored all 5 of its runs between the fifth and sixth innings, with only 1 of the runs being an earned run. Kanno would pitch in relief of Meza, who would eventually re-enter and close out the game without any further damage. Meza finished with a final line of 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
"It felt good to come back in and redeem myself a little bit," Meza said of reentering the game in the circle. "It showed that I could still pitch well."
Immediately after Coe had a 4-run fifth inning, Kanno stepped to the plate and blasted a ball high to the left-center-field fence. The ball carried to the top of the fence, with center fielder Ruby Kappeler making an athletic catch to rob Kanno of the home run.
The Hiram offense had a number of other hard-hit balls that were directly at the opposing fielders. Angel Santellan notably reached base twice on a single and throwing error, but the hard-fought effort from everyone on the team fell just short.
The teams will return to action on Saturday with a trip to Marshall, Texas on the line. A Hiram win would force a decisive Game 3 approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2. Live video and live stats will continue to be provided for all games.
"The Hiram team that's going to show up tomorrow is one that's used to getting punched in the face and having to punch back," Collins said. "We just have to control what we can control. I'm really excited. This is where we're used to being."
Meza, who has fueled the team in the circle throughout this postseason, also felt that way about the mindset moving forward.
"It feels great that we can still come back tomorrow and we'll have even more energy, more hype," Meza said. "We have a lot more to come."
