Myrtle Beach, SC – A terrific day for Geneva on the mound led to a two-game sweep of the Clarks Summit Defenders for the Golden Tornadoes on Saturday night. Sophomore Ryan Conover threw an extremely impressive 13-strikeout no-hitter in Game Two, preceded by a complete-game two-hitter from junior Caleb Graft in Game One. Geneva's record is now 4-3 with two games left in their trip to Myrtle Beach.
Game One started off well offensively for the GTs. Junior Zack Sackett, who was batting .545 through Geneva's first five games, continued his torrid start to the season with a game-opening double. Just a few batters later, Sackett came home on a groundout by sophomore Kirk Bearjar, and Geneva had a 1-0 lead early.
Sackett's next at-bat came in the bottom of the third inning, where he opened the frame with a triple. Bearjar singled him home, and freshman Josh Hull picked up an RBI-single himself moments afterward. A wild pitch and an error at third allowed Geneva to score three more times before the inning ended, and the GTs found themselves up big, 6-0.
The final four innings of the game were relatively uneventful, with only two more batters reaching base for the Golden Tornadoes and none reaching for the Defenders. Graft, who got the start, ended up pitching a complete game, allowing zero runs and just two hits. He was credited with his first win of the season, striking out six batters while walking just one.
Sackett finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored, reaching base on a double and a triple. Bearjar went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Hull also finished with an RBI on 1-for-3 hitting with a run scored.
Game Two proved to be one of the more dominant pitching performances by a Geneva player in recent memory. Conover was unstoppable on the mound, throwing 13 strikeouts over the span of 7.0 innings, allowing just one baserunner on a seventh-inning walk. When the final out was recorded, the Golden Tornadoes stormed the field to celebrate with him.
The men scored their first three runs in the second inning, with the first coming on an RBI-double from Sackett that drove home freshman Michael Twigg. After senior David Toruno drew a walk, Bearjar singled home both runners for two RBIs to put the GTs in front 3-0. Geneva's only other run came in the fifth inning when a single from sophomore Aaron Babu allowed Bearjar to come home from second base.
Bearjar went 1-for-3 in Game Two with two more RBIs, and the RBIs from Sackett and Babu rounded out the scoring for the men. Conover's record is bumped to 1-1 on the season after his incredible outing.
The GTs will play two more games in Myrtle Beach on Monday against Wells before heading back to Pennsylvania for four road games later in the week.
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).
