TIFFIN, Ohio - March 25, 2024 - Hiram softball extended its winning streak to a season-long three games with 6-3 and 7-1 victories over Heidelberg on Monday afternoon at Frann's Field.

Darian Kanno neared a cycle in Game 1 before Angel Santellan tossed another complete game in the circle in Game 2.

The wins lift the Terriers back to .500 (8-8) on the season.

Game 1 Recap

A come-from-behind effort was just what Hiram needed to get the day started, as the team rattled off five unanswered runs between the fifth and sixth innings to turn a 3-1 deficit to a 6-3 lead. The rally comes after the Terriers scored two late runs to beat Penn State Behrend in their last game on Mar. 17.

In the fifth inning, Kanno doubled in a run and Kylie Perez eventually knocked her in on a game-tying sacrifice fly. One inning later, the heart of the batting order delivered again: Kanno lifted a two-strike pitch to the right-center field wall for a two-run triple and Santellan came through with an RBI single for some insurance.

Trinity Meza finished the game and earned the win with 4.2 scoreless frames of relief in the circle. Kanno had a single, double and triple in the game, which included three runs scored and three runs driven in.

Game 2 Recap

The momentum stayed with the road team in the second game, with the senior tandem of Santellan and Perez stepping to the forefront to move their team one win closer to a winning record. Perez highlighted the offensive production, going 4-for-4 with her seventh career home run, while Santellan logged her second complete game of the season in the circle (also vs Neumann on March 6).

After the Student Princes broke the scoring barrier with one run in the first inning, Hiram hung a crooked number with five runs in the third. Hannah Heath scored on an error to level the score, while Santellan (double) and Perez (home run) each knocked in two runs to create some separation.

Daynna Mekaru joined the hit parade with a two-run double in the fifth inning to extend the Terriers lead to 7-1. It marked Mekaru's first career extra-base hit and was part of her first multi-hit performance.

Santellan worked around traffic on the basepaths and finished with a winning line of 7 IP, 8 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K. The senior now has 11 career complete games, which includes multiple complete games in each of her four seasons with the program.

What's Next

Hiram will take on the No. 1 team in Division III on Saturday, as it visits Angola, IN for a doubleheader against Trine beginning at 1 p.m.