NEW WILMINGTON, Pennsylvania – Hiram split its Opening Day doubleheader with Westminster on Thursday afternoon, winning Game 1 (19-3, seven innings) before dropping Game 2 (6-3).
A turf field allowed for the future PAC opponents to square off on a rainy February day, as the Terriers came out firing in the early stages before pitching held the upper hand in the second game.
Game 1 Recap
Hiram was clicking on all cylinders in the season-opener, scoring eight runs in the second inning and another 11 runs over the final three innings of a 19-run outburst. The top-three hitters in the batting order combined for eight hits and 12 RBI, as
Chaisson Marrs,
Hal Walker Jr. and
Evan Fairbanks fueled the victory.
Walker Jr. ripped a three-run double to left-center field in the second inning, Marrs found the hole for a two-run single in the fifth inning and Fairbanks had a two-run single in that same inning to give Hiram a 14-2 lead through five frames.
Also contributing throughout the contest was
Logan Gallentine with a pair of RBI and the patient duo of
John Bender (two walks) and
Ben Yoder (three walks).
Tyler Fernandez also had a three-hit day out of the seventh spot in the batting order.
Jack Conley logged five inning of two-run ball – throwing only 70 pitches – in what turned out to be a smooth, efficient outing.
Robert James and
Cooper Smith also logged quality work out of the 'pen to secure the win.
Game 2 Recap
The second game of the day played more to the cool, rainy conditions, as the two teams combined for 18 hits over nine innings in what shaped out to be a 6-3 loss. The Terriers got 5 scoreless innings of relief between graduate student
Sam Boyle and senior
Jacob Koces, but Westminster's Tyson Djakovich logged five shutout innings to keep the Hiram offense at bay in the first half of the game.
Six different Terriers players recorded hits in the game, including multi-hit efforts from Fairbanks and Fernandez. Fairbanks brought Hiram within striking distance with a two-run double with two outs in the ninth inning, but a flyout brought the game to a close.
On the other side of the ball, the Terriers pitching staff didn't allow an extra-base hit despite the loss.
What's Next
Hiram will get nine days away from competition before returning to the diamond under the sunny skies of Fort Myers, FL; the Terriers will begin the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Sunday, March 9 with a doubleheader against Baruch at 12 p.m. from Terry Park Stadium.
