BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – It was good to have the Geneva College softball team back in action on Conrady Field on Monday afternoon.  It was the first time in almost two seasons the Golden Tornadoes played a regular season home game after losing most of their season to COVID last year.  Unfortunately, the visiting Westminster Titans proved too tough for Geneva on this afternoon, sweeping the Golden Tornadoes by scores of 8-3 and 7-5.  Westminster moved to 2-0 on the season, while Geneva fell to 2-2.

Westminster scored first in the opening inning of the first game, courtesy a Geneva error.  The Titans then jumped on sophomore starting pitcher Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Cali./Yucca Valley) in the top of the fourth.  The Titans scored three times, all with two outs, and Westminster added another run in the top of the fifth to move ahead 5-0.

Geneva produced its first offense of the game in the bottom of the fifth.  Senior Madison Schultz (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) led off the inning with a double, senior Kyleigh Jo Ward (Laceyville, Pa./Wyalusing Valley) followed with a double to drive in Schultz, and sophomore Peri Ceasri (El Dorado Hills, Cali./Vista Del Lago) drove in Ward with an RBI-single.  Unfortunately, that was all the Golden Tornado offense could muster against Westminster starting pitcher Madison Brown.

The Titans added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh, and Geneva added the final tally of the game against the Westminster bullpen when a Ceasri double and an RBI-single from junior Sarah Johnson (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) accounted for the game's final run, with the Golden Tornadoes falling 8-3.

Smith took her first loss of the season, pitching 6.2 innings while giving up all eight runs, six of them earned.  Ceasri was the only Golden Tornado with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

Geneva had a chance in the second game to take its first lead of the day.  After a scoreless top of the first by junior starting pitcher Nicole West (Glenwood, Md./McDonogh), the Golden Tornadoes put runners at second and third with just one out in the bottom of the inning.  Unfortunately, Geneva failed to drive home either runner, and then the Golden Tornadoes left more runners on base in the second inning when they left the bases loaded.

Westminster finally got to West in the top of the fourth, plating two runners.  Junior Madison Smith (Joshua Tree, Cali./Yucca Valley) put Geneva on the board in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run, but the Titans broke the game open in the top of the fifth, scoring five times in taking a 7-1 lead.

Geneva tried to rally late.  West homered in the bottom of the fifth, and the Golden Tornadoes scored three times in the bottom of the sixth, but once again left a runner in scoring position.  Ward and Madison Smith opened with singles, and after an out, Johnson and sophomore Hannah Raygor (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) followed with back-to-back triples.  Geneva got a little unlucky when West, the Golden Tornadoes' next batter, lined one directly to the third baseman for the second out, and Geneva failed to pick up a key two-out hit to pull within one.  Unfortunately, that was the last offense the Golden Tornadoes could generate in falling 7-5.

West picked up her first loss of the season, pitching 4.0 innings while giving up nine hits and four runs.  Johnson led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.  West and Madison Smith each added two hits.

"Westminster is an outstanding team and is very strong offensively from top to bottom," said Head Coach Van Zanic.  "We have to play extremely well to beat them, and today we were far from that.  We had some good performances today, but we need to clean a lot of things up if we hope to compete for a conference title.  Thankfully, we have a lot of time to improve."

Geneva will get right back into action on Wednesday with a home doubleheader against Bethany, beginning at 2:00 p.m.  None of Geneva's games against conference opponents count in the conference standings the first time through its schedule.  The Golden Tornadoes first official PAC game doesn't occur until the end of the month.


Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 145 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. Geneva is included on Kiplinger's Personal Finance's "2019 Best College Values" list and has one of the top undergraduate engineering programs in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world.