BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – It proved to be a very successful Senior Day for the Geneva College softball team on Saturday afternoon.  The Golden Tornadoes hosted W&J for a doubleheader, needing to win both games to secure the top spot in the upcoming Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament.  Geneva did just that, led by its seniors, winning both games by scores of 8-0 and 6-3.  The Golden Tornadoes finish their regular season 33-5 overall, 16-2 in the PAC, while W&J is 17-14-1, 9-7 in the PAC.

Geneva entered the last day of the regular season knowing two wins would secure the top spot for the PAC Tournament, which comes with it the opportunity to host the tournament, something Geneva has never done since joining the PAC.  On top of that, the Golden Tornadoes were recognizing its three seniors, Marina Manuppelli (Mars, Pa./Mars), Madison Schultz (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Kyleigh Jo Ward (Laceyville, Pa./Wyalusing), while junior Sarah Johnson (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) needed just one hit to break the Geneva single-season hits record at 67.  All four ended up having big days.

Junior Nicole West (Glenwood, Md./McDonogh) took the circle in game one, and after she retired six of the first seven batters, the Golden Tornado offense provided her with three runs of support in the bottom of the second.  Ward hit an RBI-double, Johnson got her record-breaking hit to load the bases, sophomore Hannah Raygor (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) drove in one run with a sacrifice fly, and a third run scored on an error.

That was all the support West would need, but Geneva added four more runs in the bottom of the third to break the game open.  Johnson had the big hit, a two-out, bases-loaded triple that cleared the bases, and then Johnson came home to score on a Presidents' error to make it 7-0.

West continued to buzz through the W&J lineup, and Geneva ended the game when Schultz led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and came around to score on an RBI-single from Ward, finishing off the victory, 8-0.

West pitched all five innings and gave up just three hits and two walks, striking out six, to move her record to 15-2 on the season.

Schultz led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 effort, while scoring three times.  Johnson finished 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs.  Ward also had multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.

Sophomore Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Cali./Yucca Valley) took the ball in game two, and the Geneva offense missed on a couple of opportunities in the first and second innings to generate runs, leaving multiple runners on base each time.

The offense eventually got on the board in the bottom of the third when Johnson led off with a single, stole second, then scored on an RBI-double from sophomore Madison Forsythe (Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford).

Smith ran into trouble in the top of the fifth.  Three W&J singles loaded the bases with one out, and after Smith struck out the next batter, the Presidents' Peyton Eckenrode cleared the bases with a two-out double to right field, giving W&J its first runs of the day and putting Geneva behind 3-1.

The Golden Tornadoes had an immediate answer.  Ward, Johnson and Forsythe opened the bottom of the inning with singles to load the bases.  Raygor struck out, but sophomore Peri Ceasri's (El Dorado Hills, Cali./Vista Del Lago) grounder to short was bobbled, and everyone was safe, including Ward who came home to score.  Manuppelli then stepped to the plate and lined a pitch to right-center to drive in two runs, and a third came around to score on an error to give Geneva the lead back, 5-3.

The Golden Tornadoes added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, courtesy of a single and stolen base from Johnson, and then an RBI-single from Forsythe.

Smith retired W&J in order in the top of the seventh to finish off the victory, 6-3.  She moved her record to 17-3 with the complete-game effort, pitching 7.0 innings while giving up six hits and three runs, while striking out one.

Johnson again sparked the offense, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and two stolen bases.  Manuppelli finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Forsythe and Raygor each added two hits and an RBI.

"This is just another example of how this team responds in big moments after we rallied from behind in game two," said Head Coach Van Zanic.  "Our seniors have been incredible for four years, and they were huge today.  I'm so happy for them and for Sarah.  Sarah just keeps doing Sarah Johnson things.  This team deserves to host the PAC Tournament."

The PAC Tournament is scheduled to take place next Friday and Saturday.  The top three seeds, Geneva, Westminster and Bethany, are guaranteed a spot.  The final spot will be determined early next week, with the final bracket for the double-elimination tournament announced in the middle of next week.


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).