MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Geneva College baseball team swept Clarks Summit in a doubleheader on Tuesday night, extending its winning streak to four games. The Golden Tornadoes won the first game 6-3 and then rallied for a 13-6 victory in the second game. Geneva improved its record to 4-2 on the season.
Geneva jumped ahead in top of the first in game one, scoring three times. Junior Tim Hermansen opened the inning with a double, and two batters later freshman Aaron Babu added an RBI-double. Sophomore Zack Sackett then delivered a two-run single to give the Golden Tornadoes the early lead.
Sophomore Derek Sears got the start for Geneva on the mound, and after retiring the first two batters he faced, a walk, a single and a home run quickly tied the game up at 3-3. It would prove to be the only runs Geneva pitching would allow in the game.
The Golden Tornadoes responded in the top of the second. The first two batters reached base, and a batter later, junior David Toruno drove a ball into the right-centerfield gap for a two-run triple. An inning later, senior Gabriel Morales led off with a double and came around to score on an RBI-groundout from sophomore Eric Gonzalez. That increased the Geneva edge to 6-3 and brought an end to the offense for both teams the rest of the game.
Freshman Jacob McFarland took over on the mound in the top of the fourth, and he put together four strong innings of relief, yielding just two hits. Geneva had several opportunities to increase its lead over the final three frames but were kept off the scoreboard, finishing out the 6-3 victory.
Sears earned the win, pitching 3.0 innings while giving up just two hits and three runs, while McFarland got the save. Geneva managed just six hits itself, all in the first three innings. Sackett and Toruno each drove in two runs.
Freshman Ryan Conover got the start on the mound in game two, and he put up two scoreless innings in his short outing. In the bottom of the second, Hermansen led off with a single, stole second, and he later came around to score on a wild pitch.
Clarks Summit answered with run in the top of the third against the Geneva bullpen. The Golden Tornadoes retook the lead in the bottom of the inning when Toruno singled, stole second and then scored on an RBI-single from freshman Noah Avey.
However, the Defenders responded with their best inning of the night in the top of the fourth, scoring five times to take a 6-2 lead.
Geneva rallied with a run in the fourth and then exploded for six runs in the fifth. The Golden Tornadoes took advantage of some wildness from Clark Summit's starting pitcher Sawyer Deroche, as well as their prowess on the base baths in stealing four bases. Sophomore Harrison Burns, freshman Kirk Bearjar and Toruno all had RBIs in the inning.
The Golden Tornadoes put the game away with four more runs in the sixth, aided by more control issues from Defender pitching, finishing off the scoring in the 13-6 win.
Junior Joshua Kearns earned the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Geneva had just eight hits in the game, but the Golden Tornadoes received 14 free baserunners courtesy ten walks and four hit batters. Hermansen and sophomore Cael Brandt each had two hits. Brandt scored three times while senior Alex Fee, Hermansen and Morales each crossed the plate twice. Sophomore Connor O'Brien drove in two runs. The Golden Tornadoes stole ten bases, led by Hermansen's three steals.
Geneva will be off tomorrow before resuming play on Thursday with a doubleheader against Valley Forge. First pitch is slated for 9:00 a.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).
