BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team got two outstanding pitching performances on Tuesday afternoon from senior Nicole West (Glenwood, Md./McDonogh) and junior Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Calif./Yucca Valley), and the standout duo led the Golden Tornadoes to a sweep of visiting Baldwin Wallace by scores of 4-1 and 8-0. Geneva's record now stands at 8-4.
West took the ball in game one, and she knew she had to be on her game with Geneva facing Baldwin Wallace's ace Nikki Camarati, who came into the game having struck out 50 batters in just 30 innings.
The Yellow Jackets struck first in the top of the second, scoring once on three singles to give Baldwin Wallace the early lead.
Geneva answered in the bottom of the third after the first two batters were retired. Junior Madison Forsythe (Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford) singled, Geneva's first hit of the game, and then senior Madison Smith (Joshua Tree, Calif./Yucca Valley) followed with a double over the left fielder's head to drive home Forsythe to tie the game at 1-1.
West kept Baldwin Wallace off the board the rest of the way, including working around a leadoff double in the top of the fifth. The Geneva offense struggled to get much going against Camarati until the bottom of the sixth, again with two outs.
The one thing Camarati did struggle with at times was her command, and Geneva took advantage in the bottom of the sixth. Camarati retired the first two batters, but then she walked the next two batters to put two Golden Tornadoes on base. Senior Sarah Johnson (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) followed with a line drive into the left-centerfield gap, clearing the bases with a triple. Forsythe then followed with a double to drive home Johnson, giving Geneva a 4-1 lead.
West worked around a two-out single in the top of the seventh to earn the complete-game victory. She gave up eight hits but no walks, allowing one run while striking out four.
Geneva managed just four hits in the game, but they were all timely hits. The Golden Tornadoes did walk eight times against Camarati. Forsythe led the way, finishing 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run and an RBI. Johnson's two-run triple and Madison Smith's RBI-double accounted for the other Geneva hits.
Haley Smith got the ball in game two, and she was just as good. She didn't allow a hit until two outs in the third, working around a single to keep Baldwin Wallace off the board.
Johnson generated Geneva's first run in the bottom of the inning. She reached on a fielder's choice after sophomore Elishea Reed (Lanse, Pa./West Branch) led off win a single. Johnson stole second, went to third on a groundout, and then she drew a throw down to third base from the catcher with Madison Smith at the plate, and the throw got away, allowing Johnson to scamper home.
Senior Paige Dill (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) provided a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to double Geneva's lead, which would be more than enough offense for Haley Smith.
The Golden Tornado offense left no doubt, though, in the fifth and sixth innings. Geneva scored three times in the fifth, with West contributing an RBI-single and sophomore Julia Hart (Prospect, Pa./Slippery Rock) adding an RBI-double. The Golden Tornadoes then ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with three more runs. Johnson took advantage of the Baldwin Wallace defense that had the entire outfield shifted over into left and centerfield. Johnson hit a looping liner down the right field line and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run, and then West finished the game with a two-run single, providing Geneva with an 8-0 victory.
Smith earned the complete-game shutout, pitching 6.0 innings while giving up just three hits and two walks.
Johnson finished the game 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs and two stolen bases. West also finished with three hits, along with a run and three RBIs. Hart and Reed each added two hits as Geneva finished the game with 11 hits total.
Geneva will now head out on the road for the next two weeks. The Golden Tornadoes play their next five doubleheaders away from College Hill, beginning with a doubleheader at Penn State Altoona on Friday beginning at 3:30 p.m. Geneva's next home games are not until April 6 when Geneva welcomes Westminster for a doubleheader.
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).
