BETHANY, W.Va. – All good things eventually come to an end, and so it was for the Geneva College softball team's school record winning streak on Saturday afternoon at Bethany.  Three days after sweeping previously undefeated and nationally ranked Westminster, the Golden Tornadoes couldn't hold a late lead in game one, falling 3-2 to end Geneva's school-record 17-game winning streak.  The Golden Tornadoes did bounce back in game two, winning 2-0, to split the doubleheader.  Geneva's record now stands at 22-4, 5-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Bethany is now 13-11, also 5-1 in the PAC.

Junior Nicole West (Glenwood, Md./McDonogh) took the circle in game one, and she delivered another strong outing, just as she has done all season.  The Geneva offense failed to giver her much support, though.  The Golden Tornadoes best chance early in the game came in the fourth when three straight singles with one out loaded the bases.  However, a soft line drive to second was turned into a double play, ending the threat.

Geneva finally broke through in the top of the sixth, scoring twice on an RBI-single from freshman Elishea Reed (Lanse, Pa./West Branch) and a sacrifice fly from senior Kyleigh Jo Ward (Laceyville, Pa./Wyalusing Valley).  The Golden Tornadoes had an opportunity for more, but a base running mistake ended the inning, and that gaffe came back to haunt Geneva in the bottom of the inning.

After West gave up just two hits in the first five innings, the Bison put together some good at-bats.  A key Geneva error proved pivotal in the rally as well, and Bethany came through with a big two-out, two-run double to take a 3-2 lead headed into the final inning.  The Golden Tornadoes went quietly in the top of the inning, and just like that the 17-game winning streak was over.

West pitched well enough to win, going all six innings while give up five hits and three runs (one earned), striking out six.  The offense finished with seven hits, with senior Madison Schultz (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Sophomore Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Cali./Yucca Valley) took the ball in game two, and she was dominant in the circle again.  The Geneva offense continued to struggle in the second game as well, failing to generate much of an attack.  The Golden Tornadoes did manage to get on the board with a run in the fourth, thanks to a Bethany error.

Geneva added another run in the top of the fifth courtesy of a two-out RBI-single from sophomore Madison Forsythe (Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford).  Thankfully those two runs were all Smith would need, as she finished off an impressive complete-game shutout, earning Geneva the split, 2-0.

Smith earned the win, moving her record to 11-2 on the year, pitching seven innings and giving up five hits while striking out four.

The Geneva offense managed just five hits in the win, with West and junior Madison Smith (Joshua Tree, Cali./Yucca Valley) scoring the Golden Tornado runs.

"We got two outstanding pitching performances again today, but unfortunately we wasted one of them," said Head Coach Van Zanic.  "We got into a rhythm lately where we just expected to secure runs, but Bethany did a good job against our hitters.  It was a really fun streak and something we can all be very proud about, but now we need to turn our attention to playing well every time out."

Geneva returns home this Wednesday for a doubleheader against Grove City beginning at 3:30 p.m.


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 has one of the top 100 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. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and IACE (International Association for Christian Education).