GREENCASTLE, Indiana - May 12, 2024 - Hiram once again displayed its resilience on Sunday afternoon, as the Terriers erased a three-run deficit and led by as many as three runs before falling just short, 10-8, to DePauw in the championship game of the NCAC Tournament on Sunday at DePauw Tigers Field.
Kylie Perez delivered a go-ahead three-run home run to give the team a 6-3 lead before the Tigers scored seven runs over the next two innings to regain the advantage and ultimately lock its spot into the NCAA Tournament. Fayth Kawamura also added a team-high three hits, while Angel Santellan and Perez each had three RBI.
Following the game, the Terriers had Darian Kanno, Abriana Schwartz and Daynna Mekaru named to the NCAC All-Tournament Team. It's the third straight year in which Kanno has earned the honor, while Schwartz has two career selections to the team (also in 2022). For Mekaru, it adds to an impressive rookie season at the conference's biggest event.
After DePauw scored three runs on a homer in the top of the first inning, Hiram immediately responded with an RBI single by Santellan and a bases-loaded walk to Mekaru. One inning later, Santellan returned to the action with a sacrifice fly and Perez delivered her third home run of the season – the second of which came in this year's NCAC Tournament – to give Hiram six unanswered runs and a 6-3 lead.
DePauw kept the back-and-forth rhythm of the game going, as it tallied five runs on five hits in the third inning. Another two runs came across to score in the fourth frame to make it a 10-6 game.
Santellan continued to come through in the big moments; the Lawndale, CA native hit an RBI groundout in the fourth and a second sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to make it a two-run game, 10-8. Viviana Macias singled in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the tying run to the plate, but a groundout to the shortstop brought the Terriers memorable run to a close.
Another bright spot in the contest came from first-year Hope Sizemore, who tossed three innings of scoreless relief in the circle to keep her team within striking distance. It marked the longest scoreless outing of Sizemore's career and provided her with valuable experience in the biggest game of the season.
Hiram finishes the year with a 25-17 record; the team has won 25+ games in three straight seasons for the first time in program history. Despite the loss, the program once again proved to be one of the best teams in both the NCAC and throughout the region.
The Terriers will enjoy the summer before returning to campus in the fall to start preparing for what figures to be another thrilling season in 2025.
