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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Melissa Smith vs. Hiram on 5-1-24
Jose Figueroa
The Blue Streak bats roared for a wonderful 7th inning comeback at Bracken Field. 
4
Winner Hiram TERRIERS 20-13
1
John Carroll JCU 5-27
Winner
Hiram TERRIERS
20-13
4
Final
1
John Carroll JCU
5-27
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Hiram TERRIERS 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 4 10 0
John Carroll JCU 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 1

W: Darian Kanno (8-7) L: Orendi, Danielle (1-15)

8
Hiram TERRIERS 20-14
9
Winner John Carroll JCU 6-27
Hiram TERRIERS
20-14
8
Final
9
John Carroll JCU
6-27
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Hiram TERRIERS 0 2 0 1 1 1 3 8 14 1
John Carroll JCU 0 0 0 0 4 1 4 9 13 4

W: Cash, Casey (2-3) L: Hope Sizemor (1-2)

Next Game:

at Baldwin Wallace University

5/3/2024 | 12:00 PM

Next Game

Full Schedule
May. 03 (Fri) / 12:00 PM
at Baldwin Wallace University
History

Game Recap: Softball | | Gianluca DiGiacomo, Staff Writer

In Home Finale, JCU Softball Beats Hiram on a Walkoff to Split Series

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – On Wednesday, John Carroll Softball suited up on Bracken Field on a beautiful afternoon to take on the Hiram Terriers, a stellar 19-13 squadron in a familiar territory of the North Coast Athletic Conference. Coming off of a swept series against Allegheny, the Blue Streaks came in hot, looking to build in their final non-conference doubleheader of the season.

The results for their first matchup would be unfortunate, picking up a 4-1 loss in extra innings. But the second game more than made up for it, with a 9-8 dramatic walkoff win to finish the home season.

Game 1
It was a tight first game of the afternoon for both sides, things stayed extremely close for a great majority of the matchup before things just slipped away in the first inning of extras.

There would be little offensive momentum for either side through the first two and half innings, an occasional hit but overall really stellar work from respective pitchers Danielle Orendi and Darian Kanno. At the bottom of the third, the Blue Streaks finally struck first.

Elaina Rodriguez sent a ball to right field to send Serena Paterno home to take a stellar 1-0 lead with some offensive pressure inbound on the Terriers' defense.
Another inning of scoreless softball ensued before Hiram would draw things all level. A throwing error by JCU sent Larissa Baeza flying home to tie the game up.

Despite some hopeful stints from each squad, things went into extra innings with the game knotted at one run apiece.

The extra innings did not treat the Blue Streaks well, however, as in the top of the eighth Darian Kanno homered to left center field, tallying on two runs. Daynna Mekaru would ground out to second base shortly after, sending a runner home to increase the lead to three.

The Blue Streaks dropped the first game, but were more than prepared for quite the contest in the second game of the night.

Game 2
A game of runs defined the second go-around for the Blue Streaks. Some messy defensive play from the Streaks gave the Terriers a prominent 4-0 lead through the top of the fifth inning.

The Blue Streaks responded in kind in the bottom of the fifth, tallying four runs of their own. Kendall Trunzo got the ball rolling with a single sending Lexi Genovese home, followed by Kaylyn Odelli getting walked with the bases loaded to wave Taylor Morrison over the plate. Finally, JCU tied the game up with a two-run single into left field from Melissa Smith.

Hiram pulled back in the top of the sixth courtesy of Larissa Baeza on an error from the shortstop, briefly strapping themselves back in the driver's seat before Kendall Trunzo once again tied the game with an RBI single to make it 5-5.

The Terriers did all that they could to win this game in the top of the 7th inning, as Darian Kanno drilled an RBI double to take a one-run lead. Another single shortly after by Kylie Perez scored another run, and Perez would score another run courtesy from sophomore Megan Moser.

Now it was time for the Blue Streaks to take the wheel. An unlikely comeback formulated with catcher Melissa Smith hammering a double to right field. Gabby Hougan followed that with a nice single. Lexie Genovese's double to right field batted another run in to cut the lead. The troops were rallying, and the energy began to pick up.

Taylor Morrison cut the lead to just one run, barely scraping by for the safe call as Gabby Hougan crossed the plate, 8-7 Hiram.

In dramatic fashion, Genovese dashed home to tie the game up courtesy of a wild pitch, and the Blue Streaks walked it off as a Kendall Trunzo single sent Serena Paterno bolting towards home to win the team's final home game of the season.

Along the way, Melissa Smith also made history, becoming the single-season record holder for runners caught stealing. The sophomore surpassed Hall of Famer Jamie Smrdel's previous mark of 12, quite the feat.

John Carroll will finish up the season in Berea for a doubleheader against the Yellow Jackets at Baldwin Wallace University on Friday.
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Players Mentioned

Lexie Genovese

#7 Lexie Genovese

IF
5' 7"
Junior
Gabby Hougan

#6 Gabby Hougan

IF
5' 5"
Senior
Kaylyn Odelli

#23 Kaylyn Odelli

UTL
5' 2"
Junior
Danielle Orendi

#15 Danielle Orendi

P
5' 10"
Senior
Serena Paterno

#21 Serena Paterno

IF
5' 8"
Senior
Elaina Rodriguez

#3 Elaina Rodriguez

UTL
5' 5"
Sophomore
Melissa Smith

#8 Melissa Smith

C
5' 6"
Sophomore
Kendall Trunzo

#5 Kendall Trunzo

OF
5' 0"
Junior
Taylor Morrison

#18 Taylor Morrison

IF
5' 5"
First Year

Players Mentioned

Lexie Genovese

#7 Lexie Genovese

5' 7"
Junior
IF
Gabby Hougan

#6 Gabby Hougan

5' 5"
Senior
IF
Kaylyn Odelli

#23 Kaylyn Odelli

5' 2"
Junior
UTL
Danielle Orendi

#15 Danielle Orendi

5' 10"
Senior
P
Serena Paterno

#21 Serena Paterno

5' 8"
Senior
IF
Elaina Rodriguez

#3 Elaina Rodriguez

5' 5"
Sophomore
UTL
Melissa Smith

#8 Melissa Smith

5' 6"
Sophomore
C
Kendall Trunzo

#5 Kendall Trunzo

5' 0"
Junior
OF
Taylor Morrison

#18 Taylor Morrison

5' 5"
First Year
IF

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