PITTSBURGH, Pa. – It had been almost two weeks since the Geneva College softball team took the diamond while the Golden Tornadoes battled cold and rain that forced multiple postponed games. Geneva finally got a doubleheader in on Thursday night at Chatham, with the Cougars winning game one, 8-1, before the Golden Tornadoes bounced back for a 14-6 win in game two. The games, the first Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) games of the season for Geneva, moved its record to 7-9 overall, 1-1 in the PAC.
Sophomore Sophia Tvaroch got the start in the circle in game one, and senior Julia Hart gave her an early run in the top of the first on an RBI-single, which drove home sophomore Lexi Zanic, who had walked and stole second base.
After a scoreless first inning, the Cougars got to Tvaroch in the second and third innings. Chatham scored four in the second and added three more in the third to take a 7-1 lead over the Golden Tornadoes.
Sophomore McKenzie Rapp gave Geneva some solid relief pitching in the circle, but the offense could never get going against Chatham starter Victoria Murren, managing just three hits before falling 8-1.
Graduate student Hailey Smith got the start in the circle in game two, and Chatham pushed across a run in the first inning to take a quick lead.
Geneva finally got its offense going in the second inning against Murren, who started game two as well after her strong outing in game one. Junior Megan Gray broke the ice with an RBI-single. The Golden Tornadoes eventually loaded the bases with two outs when freshman Megan Shelley drove one into the left centerfield gap to drive in two more runs. Geneva caught a break when Zanic's subsequent grounder was thrown away, allowing two more runs to score, and senior Elishea Reed wrapped up the scoring in the inning with an RBI-single.
However, Chatham answered right back in its half of the inning. The Cougars strung together four straight hits to open the frame, and Chatham eventually scored four times to pull within 6-5.
Geneva added to its lead in the top of the fourth. The Golden Tornadoes loaded the bases, and Zanic drove in one run with an RBI-single, and Hart's hit-by-pitch led to another run. Chatham was able to get one of those runs back, though, in the bottom of the inning to close within 8-6.
The Golden Tornadoes kept adding runs, scoring twice in the top of the fifth. Freshman Kyra Wilcox drove home one run with a double, and then she later came around to score the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Geneva put the game away in the top of the seventh. The Golden Tornadoes scored four more times to double their lead to 14-6. Wilcox and freshman Alexa Forsythe executed a first-and-third double steal, with Forsythe scoring. Shelley drove home Wilcox with a single. Shelley came around to score on an RBI-single from Reed, and freshman Aliya Ottaviani wrapped up the scoring with an RBI-single.
Sophomore Alena Campbell relieved Smith in the bottom of the seventh and delivered the final three outs to close out the victory.
Smith pitched six innings to earn her second win of the season.
Offensively, Shelley had a big game for the Golden Tornadoes, finishing with three hits, three runs, three RBIs, a double and a stolen base. Reed and Wilcox both contributed two hits, with Wilcox and Forsythe both scoring three times. Zanic reached base three times as well on a hit and two walks, scoring twice.
Geneva is scheduled to play a doubleheader at Grove City on Tuesday and a home doubleheader, Geneva's first home games of the season, on Wednesday, but rain in the forecast for next week could mean more postponements for the Golden Tornadoes.
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).
