MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Senior Adrian Tapia delivered a walk-off hit in the second game of its doubleheader with Valley Forge on Thursday afternoon, giving the Geneva College baseball team a 3-2 win. Valley Forge took the first game 8-2. Geneva's record now sits at 5-3.
The first game was a closer game than the final score indicated. Sophomore Zach Lemansky got the start for the Golden Tornadoes, and he was effective early. Sophomore Cael Brandt got Geneva on the board in the second inning with an RBI-single, driving home sophomore Zack Sackett. The Golden Tornadoes left the bases loaded in the inning, though.
Freshman Kirk Bearjar drove one over the left field wall in the third inning to double the Geneva lead to 2-0.
Valley Forge pushed runs across in the third and fourth innings to pull level, as the Golden Tornado offense went silent. The Patriots then broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth.
The first six Valley Forge batters reached base in the sixth inning on four singles, a walk and an error. By the time the inning ended, the Patriots had scored six times. Geneva loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but its rally fizzled with a strikeout and a pop-up, and Valley Forge closed out the 8-2 win.
Brandt and junior Tim Hermansen led the offense with two hits apiece, while Bearjar's home run was the first over-the-fence homer of the season for the Golden Tornadoes.
Sophomore Caleb Graft got the start in the second game of the day, which proved to be a pitcher's duel. Valley Forge pushed across an unearned run in the second, which Geneva answered with a run in the fourth when junior David Toruno scored on a Patriot error.
A solo home run for Valley Forge in the top of the sixth gave the Patriots another one-run lead, but an RBI-single from senior Gabriel Morales in the bottom of the frame drove home Sackett and pulled Geneva level at 2-2.
Graft got through the top of the seventh unscatched, and then the Geneva offense went to work in the bottom of the inning. Toruno doubled with one out, and after a ground out, Valley Forge intentionally walked Sackett. Tapia made his only appearance of the game as a pinch-hitter, and he drove a pitch over the centerfielder's head for a game-winning double, setting off a celebration at second base when he arrived.
Graft earned his second win of the season, pitching all seven innings while giving up just four hits and two runs (one earned) to go along with six strikeouts. Toruno led the offense with two hits and two runs, including the game-winning run.
The baseball team stays busy with another doubleheader on Friday. The Golden Tornadoes will face Hilbert, with the first game scheduled for 2:00 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).
