BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Geneva College baseball team got back into the win column with a doubleheader sweep at Medaille on Thursday afternoon.  The Golden Tornadoes won two very different games, taking a high-scoring affair in game one, 11-8, and then winning a pitcher's duel in game two, 3-1.  The wins improve Geneva's overall record to 14-19.
 
Freshman Ethan Blair got the start in game one, and Medaille jumped on him early with two runs in the first and two more runs in the second to put Geneva in an early 4-0 hole.
 
The Golden Tornadoes got their offense going in the top of the fourth, though, as the Mavericks opened the inning by walking the bases loaded.  Sophomore Caleb Graft drove home two with an RBI-single.  Another walk preceded an RBI-triple from junior David Toruno.  Another walk and two more Medaille errors allowed Geneva to plate a total of seven runners in the inning. 
 
Geneva added another run in the fifth when senior Gabriel Morales stole home on a double steal, extending the Golden Tornado advantage to 8-4
 
Blair kept the Mavericks scoreless in the third and fourth innings, but he tired in the fifth.  Medaille scored three runs and had the bases loaded with one out when sophomore Jeff Hawkins relieved Blair and got a key double-play grounder to get Geneva out of the inning clinging to an 8-7 lead.
 
Geneva answered with three runs in the top of the sixth, though, taking advantage of two walks and two Medaille errors.  Hermansen drove in one with a single.
 
Hawkins finished out the game, with the Mavericks scoring once in the bottom of the seventh to wrap up the scoring, 11-8.
 
Geneva managed just six hits in the game but took advantage of 12 walks issued by Medaille pitchers.  Blair earned the win, while Hawkins picked up the save.  Toruno was the only Golden Tornado with two hits, while Morales led the team with three runs scored.  Sophomore Connor O'Brien crossed the plate twice.
 
Game two was a much different affair, as both starting pitchers controlled the contest.  Medaille's starter Austin Goring retired the first 13 Golden Tornadoes he saw, while Geneva's starting pitcher, freshman Kirk Bearjar, was almost as good, retiring 11 of the first 12 batters he faced.
 
Geneva's first base runner was a one-out walk by freshman Noah Avey in the fifth.  Two batters later, a double from senior Alex Fee was Geneva's first hit of the game, but Avey and Fee were both stranded in scoring position.
 
The Golden Tornadoes broke through in the sixth, though.  Morales led off with a single.  He was sacrificed to second and went to third on a wild pitch.  Toruno walked and stole second to put two runners in scoring position, and both came home on an RBI-single right back up the middle from freshman Aaron Babu.  Two batters later, sophomore Zach Lemansky drove in Babu with a two-out single, increasing the Geneva advantage to 3-0.
 
Medaille answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth to get on the board, but Bearjar limited the damage to just one run, and he retired the Mavericks in order in the seventh to earn the complete-game victory, 3-1.
 
Bearjar needed just 74 pitches to get through all seven innings, a very efficient effort from the freshman making just his third appearance on the mound this season, and his first start.  He gave up just four hits and one run, while striking out five.
 
The Golden Tornadoes managed just four hits, but Geneva bunched three of them together in the sixth inning to plate three runs.
 
Geneva is scheduled to return to action on Saturday with a doubleheader at Westminster, slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.  There is rain in the forecast for Saturday, though, so that doubleheader could be moved.


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).