GRANVILLE, Ohio - May 8, 2025 - Hiram's Angel Santellan drove in three runs and Darian Kanno battled through six innings in the circle, but the Terriers fell short of victory in a 4-3 loss to DePauw in the double-elimination NCAC Tournament on Thursday morning.
With the loss, Hiram will play top-seeded Denison in an elimination game at 5:30 p.m. at Denison Softball Field. The Big Red lost to #4 Wittenberg on Thursday.
The Terriers broke the scoring barrier in the top of the first inning, with Danielle Robles (single) and Kanno (walk) both moving into scoring position for Santellan in the fifth spot of the batting order. The senior from Lawndale, CA showcased her opposite-field approach, knocking in both runners on a double to right-center field.
DePauw responded and took advantage of three hits, two stolen bases and one wild pitch to even the score at 2-2. Kanno stranded the go-ahead run at third base in that inning to keep it a tie moving into the third inning.
That proved to be a key moment for Hiram, as it regained a 3-2 lead in the third frame thanks to a sacrifice fly from Santellan. Daynna Mekaru scored the go-ahead run thanks to a leadoff single, sacrifice bunt and passed ball.
The Tigers again answered the call to tie the game, with Ella Kuenster pulling off the squeeze play to make it a 3-3 game in the third inning. Kanno later surrendered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, but still finished with a strong line of 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R/ER, 0 BB 2 K – only one DePauw hitter recorded an extra-base hit for the entire game.
Hiram matched DePauw with six total hits, including leadoff singles in the fifth and sixth innings, but its run total remained at three. The Tigers' Alex Romero-Salas didn't allow an earned run over five frames of relief pitching to earn the win in the tightly contested affair.
The Terriers will return to the field this evening, with a chance to extend their tourney run against a Denison team it beat earlier this season. Follow all the action on https://hiramterriers.com/sports/softball/schedule
