NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team saw its run in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament come to an end on Saturday afternoon, with the Golden Tornadoes falling to Westminster, 5-0, to bring an end to their season. Geneva's wraps up the year with a 23-17 overall record.
The daunting task of trying to win five games over a stretch of three days proved too much for the Golden Tornadoes. Senior Haley Smith, who had pitched 26 innings in the prior two days to get Geneva to the final day of the tournament, got the ball again against the Titans, and Westminster struck early as Smith worked to loosen back up. The first three Titans singled to load the bases, and after Smith retired the following batter, Elizabeth Malczak sent a pitch over the centerfield fence for a grand slam, putting Geneva in a big early hole.
Smith settled down after that first inning, but the damage had been done. Geneva struggled to get anything going offensively against Westminster ace Madison Brown. The Titans pushed across an unearned run in the fifth inning for the final score of the game.
After Smith retired the second out of the sixth inning, Head Coach Van Zanic pulled Smith and her sister, catcher Madison Smith, so they could exit the field together to a round of applause for their careers. Zanic also subbed out senior Sarah Johnson, one of the best players to ever wear a Geneva uniform, to allow fans to recognize her for her tremendous career.
Senior Madison Forsythe managed two of the four Geneva hits, while Smith pitched all but the final out of the six innings. Johnson and Smith were named to the All-Tournament Team.
The senior class has had one of the best runs of any class in school history, including its 2021 PAC Championship. Johnson owns eight career and single season school records, while Smith has been arguably Geneva's best pitcher over the past decade. Forsythe and Peri Ceasri have also been all-conference players during their tenures. Several of the seniors have an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID year, if they choose to use it, though some have now graduated and are ready to move on. Regardless, this group has certainly left its mark on the softball program over the past four years and have much to be proud of for what they have accomplished.
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).
