BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team tied the school record by extending its winning streak to 15 games on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping Franciscan by scores of 8-0 and 10-2, both in five innings.  If the Golden Tornadoes break the school record, they will have earned it with a doubleheader showdown at undefeated Westminster scheduled for tomorrow.  The two games today were the first of the conference season, with Geneva improving to 19-3 overall, 2-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Franciscan dropped to 5-11 overall, 0-2 in the PAC.

Junior Nicole West (Glenwood, Md./McDonogh) took the circle in game one and put forth a dominant effort.  The Geneva offense gave her immediate support, with four runs in the bottom of the first.  Junior Sarah Johnson (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) opened the bottom of the inning with an inside-the-park home run down the left field line.  Later in the inning sophomore Peri Ceasri (El Dorado Hills, Cali./Vista Del Lago) had an RBI-single, senior Marina Manuppelli (Mars, Pa./Mars) added an RBI-double, and West helped her own cause with an RBI-single.

Johnson generated another run in the bottom of the second, singling with one out.  She stole second and third, and then she scored on an errant throw from the catcher on her steal of third.  Geneva added two more runs in the bottom of the third on RBI-singles from senior Madison Schultz (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Johnson, extending Geneva's lead to 7-0.  Johnson's single in the bottom of the fifth drove home Schultz and ended the game, 8-0.

West improved her record to 9-1 on the season with a complete-game effort, going all five innings while giving up just three hits and a walk while striking out five.

Johnson led the offense, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases.  Ward was also perfect at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a double, while Ceasri was also never retired after going 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI.  West finished 2-for-3 with a triple, a run and an RBI.  Schultz finished 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.  Manuppelli also went 2-for-3, adding a double, a run and an RBI, and sophomore Madison Forsythe (Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford) added a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with a run and a stolen base.  Geneva finished with a season-high 17 hits.

Sophomore Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Cali./Yucca Valley) took the ball in the second game, and she was just as effective.  Geneva again scored in the bottom of the first, as Johnson walked, stole second, and then came around to score on an RBI-single from sophomore Hannah Raygor (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley).  The Golden Tornadoes could have had more, but they couldn't convert a second and third situation with no outs into any runs.

A Geneva error to start the second inning opened the door for Franciscan to get on the board for the first time on the day, and a second Geneva error later in the inning contributed to the Baron offense, which plated two runs.  Those runs put the Golden Tornadoes behind for the first time in the doubleheader, 2-1.

Franciscan returned the favor in the bottom of the inning, with a key Baron error enabling Geneva to score twice, with Raygor driving in one on a sacrifice fly.

Smith cruised through the next two innings, and the Geneva offense stirred to life in the bottom of the fourth with three runs, with the rally occurring after the first two batters were retired.  Raygor walked and stole second, she scored on an RBI single from Caesri, who scored on an RBI-triple from Manuppelli.  West then singled home Manuppelli for the final run of the inning, boosting Geneva's lead to 6-2.

The Golden Tornadoes finished off the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Johnson got the rally started with a one-out single and a stolen base.  She scored on Forsythe's double.  Raygor's infield single moved Forsythe to third, and Forsythe came home on an RBI-single from Ceasri.  West singled home Geneva's ninth run, and the final Golden Tornado run came home on a Franciscan throwing error, finalizing the Geneva 10-2 win.

Smith improved her record to 9-2 on the season with a complete-game effort.  She pitched all five innings and gave up four hits and two unearned runs, while striking out two.

West finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to lead the offense.  Raygor went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base.  Ceasri also added multiple hits, finishing 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.  Johnson finished 1-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base.  Johnson is now hitting .526 on the season with a league-leading 21 stolen bases.

"You always want to start the league off with two wins," said Head Coach Van Zanic.  "What these ladies have accomplished over the past few weeks with 15 straight wins is really impressive.  That's a very special accomplishment that this squad should be very proud of.  We will have our hands full tomorrow with a very good Westminster team, but these are the games you want to play in."

The Titans swept Geneva very early in the season last month, winning by scores of 8-3 and 7-5.  Westminster boasts the league's best team ERA at 2.11, while the team's .435 batting average is also tops in the PAC.  Tomorrow's doubleheader starts at 3:30 p.m. in New Wilmington.


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).