WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Geneva College baseball team opened Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play on Tuesday with a tall task, traveling to perennial power and preseason PAC favorite Washington & Jefferson. The Presidents looked as strong as they often are in winning both games of a doubleheader by scores of 14-1 and 10-0. The losses dropped Geneva's record to 6-8 overall.
Sophomore Caleb Graft got the start in game one, fresh off a strong week over Spring Break which earned him the PAC Baseball Rookie of the Week honors. W&J presented a much tougher test for Graft, though, and the Presidents took an early lead with three-run home runs in both the first and second innings.
Geneva got its only run of the day when freshman Noah Avey walked to lead off the third and later came around to score on a single from freshman Kirk Bearjar.
That was all the Golden Tornadoes could muster offensively, though, and W&J added to its lead with more runs in the fourth, fifth and six innings on its way to a 14-1 win.
Geneva collected five hits in the game, led by Bearjar's two singles
Sophomore Zach Lemansky got the start for Geneva in game two, and the Presidents pushed across a run in the bottom of the first to take the early lead.
The Golden Tornadoes faced W&J's ace Tyler Horvat in the second game, and the senior hurler was as good as advertised. The Geneva offense could not manage much against the All-American. A double from junior David Toruno in the first inning proved to be the only hit for the Golden Tornadoes in the game.
The Presidents added a pair of runs in both third and fourth innings off Lemansky, and then W&J finished off the game with five runs in the bottom of seventh to close out the scoring, 10-0.
Geneva will get a chance to get right back into action tomorrow when the Golden Tornadoes travel to Pitt-Greensburg for a single game at 4:00 p.m. Geneva's home opener against Clarks Summit, originally scheduled for this Saturday, has been moved to Monday in anticipation of freezing weather this weekend.
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).
