PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team split a high-scoring doubleheader on Thursday night in rare Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) night doubleheader. Geneva couldn't hold onto a lead in the first game in losing 10-8, but the Golden Tornadoes came back to win game two, 13-8. It's Geneva's fourth straight PAC doubleheader split. The Golden Tornadoes are now 14-12 overall, 4-6 in the PAC.
Game one got off to a great start, with Geneva scoring four times in the top of the second. Senior Sarah Johnson (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) doubled home two runners, and then junior Madison Forsythe (Trafford, Pa./Penn-Trafford) followed by driving home two more runners with a single.
However, Chatham answered right back in the bottom of the inning against junior starter Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Calif./Yucca Valley). A day after throwing a shutout against Bethany, Smith struggled with her command, walking three batters, and the Cougars capitalized by scoring five runs.
Geneva had an immediate response in the top of the third, with the Golden Tornadoes again scoring four times. Senior Sidney Young (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) doubled home a run, senior Paige Dill (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) drove home another run with a single, and then senior Madison Smith (Joshua Tree, Calif./Yucca Valley) came up with a triple to drive in two more runs to give the Golden Tornadoes the lead back, 8-5.
However, the Cougars kept coming, and the Geneva offense went silent the rest of the game. Chatham scored three runs in the fifth to pull even, and then the Cougars added two more in the bottom of the sixth to take a 10-8 lead, and the Golden Tornadoes couldn't rally in the seventh, dropping the opening game.
Madison Smith led the offense with three hits and two RBIs. Young, senior Nicole West (Glenwood, Md./McDonogh) and senior Victoria Baker (Havelock, N.C./Havelock) each had two hits, while Johnson and Forsythe drove in two runs apiece.
In game two, once again Geneva jumped ahead early with two runs in the top of the first inning. Johnson opened the game with a double, Forsythe tripled, and then sophomore Elishea Reed (Lanse, Pa./West Branch) drove home Forsythe with a single.
Chatham had an immediate response in its half of the inning against West, who got the start in game two. Helped by a Golden Tornado error, the Cougars scored four times in the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Geneva retook the lead in the top of the third. Madison Smith led off with a double, and Johnson followed with a single and stolen base to give the Golden Tornadoes runners at second and third with no outs. Forsythe drove home Smith with a sacrifice fly, and later in the inning West had an RBI-groundout and sophomore Julia Hart (Prospect, Pa./Slippery Rock) an RBI-single to give Geneva the lead back, 5-4.
The Golden Tornadoes added two more runs in the top of the fifth. Smith scored on a passed ball, and then Johnson came home on a sacrifice fly from Forsythe.
The Cougars got their offense restarted in the bottom of the fifth, though, scoring twice to pull within one, 7-6.
Geneva immediately responded in the top of the sixth, scoring twice when Johnson drove home two with a single. Chatham answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but West got out of a bases-loaded jam without giving up any further damage, with the Golden Tornadoes holding on to a 9-7 lead heading into the seventh.
Geneva put together a two-out rally in the top of the seventh. After the first two batters were retired, the Golden Tornadoes loaded the bases. Madison Smith delivered an RBI-single to drive in one, and then Johnson followed with a slow roller that Chatham threw away down the right-field baseline, allowing all three runners to score, giving Geneva a 13-7 lead.
Chatham scored once in the bottom of the inning, but West finished off the game with back-to-back strikeouts, allowing Geneva to win 13-8.
West was the benefactor of the Golden Tornado offense, earning her sixth win of the season while pitching a complete-game effort. She gave up 12 hits and eight runs (five earned), while striking out three.
Johnson had a big second game offensively, finishing 3-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBIs, while walking once and stealing two bases. Young and Madison Smith also had three hits apiece. Smith scored three times, while Young scored twice. West had two hits, while Forsythe drove in three runs as Geneva collected 15 hits in the win.
Geneva will stay on the road, traveling next to Saint Vincent on Saturday to play a doubleheader against a Bearcat squad that is ahead of the Golden Tornadoes in the PAC standings. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 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).
