BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The locomotive that is the Geneva College softball team kept chugging along on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping Chatham in a doubleheader by scores of 7-0 and 5-2.  The Golden Tornadoes have now won seven games in a row and 24 of their last 25 games, improving their overall record to 28-4 and 11-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).  Chatham dropped to 7-15, 2-6 in the PAC.

Junior Nicole West (Glenwood, Md./McDonogh) took the circle in game one, as has been Geneva's pattern all year.  She retired the Cougars in order in the top of the inning, and then the Geneva offense gave her plenty of support in the bottom of the inning.

Junior Sarah Johnson (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) opened the bottom the first with a single, and then she stole second.  Sophomore Hannah Raygor (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) drove Johnson home with a single, and after sophomore Peri Ceasri (El Dorado Hills, Cali./Vista Del Lago) walked, senior Marina Manuppelli (Mars, Pa./Mars) drove everyone home with a three-run home run over the left field fence.  And just like that, the Golden Tornadoes led 4-0 five batters into the game.

That was more than enough offense for West, who cruised through the Chatham lineup.  Geneva added a run in the second on an RBI-double from Manuppelli, and Raygor's two-out, two-RBI single in the third increased Geneva's lead to 7-0.

West took it from there, finishing off the Cougars for a complete-game shutout.  She gave up just three hits, along with four walks, while striking out six to improve her record to 13-2 and lower her season ERA to 2.07.

Manuppelli, Raygor and Johnson led the offense.  Manuppelli finished 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and four RBIs.  Raygor finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, three RBIs and two stolen bases, while Johnson finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base.  Senior Kyleigh Jo Ward (Laceyville, Pa./Wyalusing) also added two hits in the win.

Game two was a matchup of the two pitchers with the lowest ERAs in the PAC.  Geneva started sophomore Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Cali./Yucca Valley), with her 1.82 ERA, while Chatham countered with Kayla Gee in the circle, the only pitcher with a lower ERA in the PAC than Smith at 1.72 coming into the game.  With those two pitchers in the circle, runs figured to be at a premium.

Despite the glossy ERA for Gee, Geneva jumped on her immediately in the bottom of the first inning.  After Smith retired the Cougars in order in the top of the first, Johnson led off with a bunt single, sophomore Madison Forsythe (Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford) was hit by a pitch, and Raygor's infield single loaded the bases with no one out.  Caesri stepped to the plate and cleared the bases with a double into the right field corner, and quickly Geneva led 3-0.  Senior Madison Schultz (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) added an RBI-single later in the inning, and a Chatham error made it 5-0 before the final out was recorded at home plate.

It was a good thing Geneva maximized its offense in the first inning, because Gee quickly settled down to start the second inning, and she silenced the Geneva offense the rest of the game.  Gee retired the next eight Golden Tornadoes she faced, and Geneva got only three base runners over the final five innings on a single, a walk and a Cougar error.

Chatham finally got on the board for the first time all day when the Cougars scored twice in the fourth on a two-run double, but that was all Chatham would get the rest of the game.

West relieved Smith to start the sixth, and despite walking two runners in each of the final two innings, she navigated around trouble to earn her third save of the season, 5-2.

Smith picked up the victory by pitching five innings and giving up five hits and two runs, while striking out five, to move her record to 14-2 this year.

Geneva managed just six hits in the game, five of which came in the first inning.  Johnson was the only Golden Tornado with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base, while Ceasri had the key hit with her three-run double in the first inning.

"We got off to great starts in both games, which obviously helps our pitchers to challenge hitters throughout the game," said Head Coach Van Zanic.  "It would have been nice to generate some more offense throughout both games, but we got a little too comfortable with the early leads.  It was nice to see Peri come up with a big hit in the first inning of game two against a very good pitcher.  We are pretty banged up and need some rest, but these ladies continue to battle each day."

Geneva is back in action this Saturday when the Golden Tornadoes host Saint Vincent for a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.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).