HIRAM, Ohio - April 4, 2025 - Hiram roared back in Game 1 and made history in Game 2 as part of a doubleheader sweep over Ohio Wesleyan on Friday afternoon at Fishel Field (10-5 and 11-3).
The Terriers erased a 5-2 deficit to start the day before Evan Fairbanks tied the program's all-time home run record with his 18th career home run to seal the two conference wins.
Game 1 Recap
The perseverance of Jack Conley gave the Terriers offense just enough time to turn a 5-2 hole into a 10-5 win. Conley got stronger as the outing progressed, finishing his day with three scoreless innings to tie the longest outing of his career (8 IP vs Ohio Wesleyan and DePauw in 2023).
Hiram scored four runs in both the seventh and eighth innings, with a three-run homer by Tyler Fernandez and a grand slam by Matthew Trimble fueling the eight unanswered runs. For Fernandez, not only did the home run give Hiram a 6-5 lead, but it also gave him three home runs this season, matching his career-high for home runs in a single season (three HR in 2024).
Owen Cooper retired each of the three batters he faced to give the Terriers their first victory against OWU dating back to April 8, 2023.
Game 2 Recap
The Terriers picked up right where they left off in Game 2, scoring another eight runs over the first three innings. The team drew four walks in the first inning and then tallied five base knocks in the third inning – including a two-run single from Luke Snider and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ben Yoder.
What stood out the most was Fairbanks, who tied the program record with his 18th career home run to tack on some additional insurance in the seventh inning. The graduate student from Chardon, OH matched Dominic Yazkek (18) with a long ball that sailed far over the left-center-field wall.
Lost in the shuffle of the offensive outburst was Nicolas Chernitsky, who worked around a number of jams to qualify for the win. He finished with five innings of two-run ball before the bullpen unit of Noah Brown, Cooper Smith and Timothy Johnson shut it down for the sweep.
What's Next
Hiram will next travel to Wilmington, OH to take on the Quakers on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
