CLERMONT, Florida - March 8, 2024 - Hiram softball completed its trip to Florida with a lot to celebrate, as the Terriers won both of their games against Gordon (3-1) and Chatham (13-1) to move to 5-5 on the season and return home with a two-game winning streak.
Trinity Meza didn't allow a hit in a 4.2-inning relief appearance against Gordon, while Darian Kanno tallied a career-high 12 strikeouts as part of a complete game against Chatham. In the second game, the Hiram offense erupted for 13 runs, which included at least one hit from 11 different student-athletes.
Game 1 Recap
Hiram proved again that it could win the tight, low-scoring battles in the opening game of the day, which also happened to be the program's first ever game against Gordon College. The Terriers outhit their opposition, 9-4, behind timely moments on offense and in the circle.
The Fighting Scots scored in the top-half of the first inning before Hiram matched its opponent with a run of its own. Angel Santellan, who started the game in the circle, helped her own cause with an RBI single to bring home Fayth Kawamura, who started the rally with a one-out single.
Santellan's day in the circle ended with 2.1 innings of one-run ball, opening the gate for Meza to take over the game. The senior from Los Banos, California worked 4.2 innings of no-hit softball, an effort that fueled the Terriers momentum moving forward in the game and lifted her to a second victory in 2024.
Hiram helped Meza earn the win thanks to RBI singles by Larissa Baeza in the second inning and Abriana Schwartz in the fifth inning. On the Schwartz RBI single, Kanno also scored on an error by the left fielder to give Meza all she needed to finish off the game in convincing fashion.
Game 2 Recap
Kanno, the reigning NCAC Pitcher of the Year, was in midseason form to close out the road trip, as she punched out 12 student-athletes and allowed just one run on a wild pitch. The junior was consistent in changing the eye level, too, as she induced six groundouts and finished with a final line of 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 4 BB, 12 K.
While Kanno was hanging zeroes on the scoreboard, the Terriers bats were stringing together hits and keeping the lineup moving. Five runs were scored by the road team between the first two innings, an outburst that was highlighted by a Santellan RBI single and a Kawaura sacrifice fly.
More run support came in the second half of the game, with Daynna Mekaru, Megan Moser and Lola Thomas each knocking in a run on a single to center field between the fifth and sixth innings.
Abriana Schwartz, who tied Danielle Robles with a team-high two hits, joined the party with an RBI single of her own as part of a five-run seventh inning. Megan Hippely (single) and Moser (sacrifice fly) capped off the frame to increase the lead to 13-1, which set up Kanno for a routine finish to the dominant result.
What's Next
Hiram will take over a week off before returning to the field next Saturday, March 16 against Westminster for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in New Wilmington, PA.
