MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Geneva College baseball team wrapped up its trip over Spring Break on Saturday with a doubleheader split with Wells College. The Golden Tornadoes took the first game, 12-8, before suffering a narrow 4-3 loss in game two. Geneva's record now stands at 6-6.
In the first game of the day, freshman Jacob McFarland got the start for Geneva, and Wells opened the top of the first with two runs against McFarland.
The Geneva offense answered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame, courtesy RBI-singles from sophomore Caleb Graft and freshman Noah Avey.
Wells regained the lead with a run in the top of the third, but the Golden Tornadoes took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the inning with two runs. Junior Tim Hermansen drove home one runner with a sacrifice fly, and then Avey drove home the second with an RBI-triple.
Geneva added to its lead in the fourth, with Graft and Hermansen delivering RBIs in the three-run inning, pushing the Golden Tornado advantage to 7-3.
Wells answered in the top of the fifth inning, though. Two walks and an error loaded the bases with no one out, and the Express plated all three baserunners before the inning closed to pull within 7-6.
Geneva responded immediately, though. The Golden Tornadoes loaded the bases with one, and junior David Toruno drove in the first run with a walk. Graft delivered a sacrifice fly, and then senior Adrian Tapia drove home two more with a double. Avey picked up his third RBI of the game with a single to close out the scoring, increasing Geneva's lead to 12-6.
Wells added two more runs in the sixth, but senior Timothy Munz closed out the win with two innings of relief.
McFarland earned his first collegiate win by pitching five innings, giving up 10 hits and eight runs, four earned.
The offense was the story of the first game, with Geneva finishing with a season-high 17 hits in the win. Sophomore Connor O'Brien finished with a career-high four hits, including two doubles, while scoring three runs. Avey added three hits and three RBIs, while Hermansen also finished with three hits to go with two RBIs. Graft finished 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs, while Toruno scored three runs. Tapia reached base three times while scoring twice and driving in two runs. Sophomore Harrison Burns added two hits.
Sophomore Jeff Hawkins got the start in game two, and Geneva got on the board first with a run in the second on an RBI-single from sophomore Eric Gonzalez.
Wells didn't mount much offense in the second game, but the Express used one brief rally in the third for all the runs they would need. The first three batters reached on a wild pitch on a strikeout, a single and a walk, loading the bases. The next batter, Jonathan Haines, hit a grand slam over the left field wall to give Wells a sudden 4-1 lead.
Hawkins got of the inning without further damage, and freshman Ethan Blair followed Hawkins with three scoreless innings of relief.
The Geneva offense loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth but couldn't score. The Golden Tornadoes then put together one last rally, with Toruno's two-out, two-run double in the top of the seventh pulling Geneva with one run. Toruno advanced to third on a wild pitch, but he was stranded there as Wells got the final out.
Geneva managed just five hits in the game, though the Golden Tornadoes did outhit Wells, who finished with just four hits. Gonzales had two of the five Geneva hits.
The Golden Tornadoes will head home and begin conference play next week when Geneva travels to W&J on Tuesday for a doubleheader, beginning at 1:00 p.m., to take on the preseason conference favorite Presidents.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. 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 the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
