FORT MYERS, Florida - March 11, 2025 - Hiram showed resilience despite a 15-11 loss to Wisconsin Lutheran on Tuesday at Terry Park Stadium Field as part of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
The Terriers turned a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 tie before later turning a 6-2 hole into just a 6-4 margin. Ultimately, the Warriors offense proved to be too much; the "road" team finished with 15 runs on 21 hits in the non-conference contest.
Hiram's Hal Walker Jr. continued to mash the baseball, going 2-for-3 on the day and reaching base safely five times over six plate appearances. For the season, Walker Jr. is now batting .565 (13-for-23), which includes a six-game hitting streak, as he continues to climb the record books across multiple offensive categories.
Designated hitter Tyler Fernandez was also effective, going 4-for-5 with one double and three RBI out of the cleanup spot in the batting order. As a team, Hiram drew five-or-more walks for the fifth time in six games this season (eight walks on Tuesday), a testament to the quality of the team's at-bats up to this point.
The Terriers fought back throughout the game, hanging a crooked number on the opposition in the first inning (Fernandez RBI single and John Bender sacrifice fly) and third inning (Fernandez RBI double and Matthew Trimble RBI single). Bender also later scored on a double steal in the fifth frame, putting Hiram in line for another offensive performance that matched the hot weather down in Florida.
Wisconsin Lutheran kept the foot on the gas pedal, though, totaling another three runs in the seventh inning and four runs in the eighth inning to take control and finish the game on the winning side. The Terriers made it a four-run game in the bottom of the ninth thanks to the top-four hitters in the batting order, but the tying run was still in the on-deck circle when the final out was recorded.
Hiram will take the day off on Wednesday before returning to action on Thursday against Otterbein at 3 p.m. from the same Terry Park Stadium field in Fort Myers, FL.
