BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team advanced to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament with a 5-3 victory over No. 6 Saint Vincent on Thursday afternoon, winning the PAC Play-In Series to secure the final spot in the PAC Tournament. Geneva improved to 22-15 with the win.
The Play-In Series was originally supposed to be held on Monday, but due to cold and rainy weather every day this week, the series got pushed to Thursday, and there were questions whether the series would even happen. The afternoon saw several showers roll through prior to the first game of the day that made for tough conditions. Geneva, as the No. 4 seed, hosted the series, with No. 5 Grove City and No. 6 Saint Vincent squaring off in the first game of the day. Geneva was then scheduled to take on the winner to see who would earn the fourth and final spot in the PAC Tournament.
The first game did eventually get completed, though it was delayed almost 30 minutes due to rain, but eventually the Bearcats defeated Grove City, 7-3, to set up the matchup with Geneva.
Senior Haley Smith got the start in the circle, and after escaping a jam in the first inning, the Bearcats got on the board in the second inning with two runs, putting the Golden Tornadoes in an early hole.
The Geneva offense responded in the bottom of the third. Freshman Lexi Zanic opened the inning with a one-hop double off the wall in left-centerfield for a leadoff double. Senior Sarah Johnson followed with an RBI-single to bring home Zanic. Johnson stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt, and then she tagged up and scored on a shallow pop-up that was caught by the shortstop off the bat of senior Madison Forsythe. Junior Julia Hart followed with a double, and senior Peri Ceasri drove her home with a single to give Geneva its first lead of the game, 3-2.
Smith settled down after the first two innings, not allowing a hit over the next three innings. The Golden Tornadoes added to their lead in the fifth. Freshman Payton James and Forsythe opened the inning with bloop doubles to put runners at second and third with no outs. Hart followed with a line drive double into the gap in left-centerfield to increase the lead to 5-2.
The Bearcats tried to rally in the top of the sixth. A single and double to start the inning pulled Saint Vincent within 5-3, and the Bearcats looked primed for a big inning when the key play of the game occurred. After one batter was retired, the next Bearcat singled to right field, but a perfect relay throw from junior Elishea Reed, to Hart, to Ceasri nailed the runner at the plate, and Smith escaped the inning while just giving up one run. Smith then retired the Bearcats in order in the seventh to secure the win.
Smith improved her record to 13-5 on the season, earning a complete-game victory while giving up seven hits, three runs (two earned), striking out two.
Johnson was again the catalyst for the Geneva offense at the top of the order. She led the team with three hits. Hart had a big day at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
Geneva has a short turnaround, with the PAC Tournament starting tomorrow at Westminster. Westminster is the No. 1 seed, Waynesburg the No. 2 seed and Allegheny the No. 3 seed. The tournament, a double elimination format, will begin with Waynesburg and Allegheny squaring off at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Geneva will take on Westminster at 12:00 p.m. If the Golden Tornadoes win their first game, they'll play the winner of the first game at 4:00 p.m. If Geneva loses, it will face the loser of the first game at 2:00 p.m. in an elimination game.
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).
