FORT MYERS, Florida – March 10, 2026- The Hiram baseball team faced off against the Alfred State Pioneers for the third day of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. Hiram controlled the game from start to finish, and responded in a big way after the Pioneers scored first. 

The Pioneers may have started the game out strong, getting out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Terriers responded with six runs in the third, with hits by Kian Drummonds, Luke Snider and Matthew Trimble all recording RBIs. The inning was capped off by an RBI triple by John Bender, who eventually also scored on a wild pitch to give the Terriers a 6-2 lead after three innings.

One inning later, Ben Yoder added on to the lead, when he hit home a single to right-center field that drove home Drew Mason. 

The Terriers added more insurance runs in the seventh, when Mason reached on an infield hit to score Bender. One batter later, Drummonds hit yet another infield single to score Lex Lear. Finally, Mason scored on the pickoff attempt to second base, which gave the Terriers the 10-3 lead. 

Throwing outstanding games on the mound were Tyler Leasure and Andrew Pawley. Leasure threw six innings on 89 pitches with 1 ER and six strikeouts for an outstanding performance in what also marked his first collegiate start (second appearance). Pawley then came in relief and also dominated, throwing three innings and not allowing a single hit on two strikeouts, shutting down any comeback attempt by the Pioneers. 

Offensively, Snider, Bender and Drummonds each had two hits, while Mason broke out a totaled a career-high four hits out of the seventh slot in the batting order.

Hiram baseball will be back in action on Wednesday, when they return to the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic for the fourth day; the team will face Skidmore College, with first pitch set for 12 p.m. at Terry Park in Fort Myers, FL.