BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team got two strong starting pitching performances on Tuesday afternoon from freshman McKenzie Rapp and senior Haley Smith, and the duo led Geneva to a doubleheader sweep of Penn State Behrend in the first home games of the season.  The Golden Tornadoes won the first game, 4-3, before capturing the second game, 2-1.  Geneva improved to 5-9 with the victories.

Rapp got the ball in the circle in game one, and Behrend pushed across a run in the top of the first to give the Lions an early lead.

Geneva tied things up in the bottom of the second when senior Peri Ceasri led off with a double and came around to score on a single from junior Elishea Reed.

Rapp kept Behrend off the board over her next four innings, allowing just two hits, and the Golden Tornadoes put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth.  Freshman Madison Rapp led off with a double into the gap in left-centerfield.  The next two batters were retired, but an RBI-single from senior Madison Forsythe gave Geneva the lead.  Junior Julia Hart followed with a single, and then Ceasri came up with a key two-run single to extend the lead to 4-1 before Behrend got the final out of the inning.

McKenzie Rapp retired two of the first three batters in the sixth before the Geneva bullpen came in to relieve her.  Freshman Sophia Tvaroch struggled with her command, though, walking the next three batters before freshman Jorja Koerner relieved Tvaroch.  Koerner retired the final batter of the inning, but not before Behrend had scored twice to pull within 4-3.

Koerner shut the door in the seventh, though, retiring the Lions in order to preserve the 4-3 win, earning the save.  Rapp earned her first collegiate victory, pitching 5.2 innings while giving up six hits and two runs.

Forsythe, Ceasri, Reed and Madison Rapp each finished with two hits for the Golden Tornadoes.

Smith got the ball in game two, and the offense gave her immediate support in the bottom of the first.  Graduate student Sarah Johnson led off with a triple.  The next two batters failed to bring her in before Ceasri came through with another two-out hit, this one a double to drive home Johnson.  Reed then followed with a single to drive home Ceasri and double Geneva's lead.  It proved to be all the offense the Golden Tornadoes could generate in the game, though.  Fortunately, Smith made sure the two runs were enough.

Smith was strong again for the Golden Tornadoes, keeping Behrend off the board until the Lions scratched across a two-out run in the fifth.  Smith worked around a leadoff double in the sixth, and then finished off the game in the seventh to close out the 2-1 victory, her fourth win of the season.

Johnson and Madison Rapp each picked up two of Geneva's seven hits in the game.  Both of Rapp's hits were doubles.

Geneva is scheduled to head to Pitt-Greensburg on Thursday for a doubleheader, weather permitting, starting at 3:30 p.m.

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).