BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College baseball team put a lot of runners on base on Saturday against Westminster, and the Golden Tornadoes even outhit the Titans 24-17 over the two games, but Westminster converted more of its chances in winning the games by scores of 11-5 and 10-6. Geneva dropped to 13-17 with the losses, 3-11 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Sophomore Eric Keaton got the start in game one, and he was effective early, though Westminster did score a run in each of the first and second innings, the second run unearned.
Geneva battled back to pull even, though. Junior Zach Lemansky delivered a two-out RBI-single in the fourth, and senior Tim Hermansen brought home a second run in the fifth inning on a groundout.
However, the Titans took advantage of three errors over the sixth and seven innings to score eight unearned runs, three in the sixth and five more in the seventh, to break the game open.
The Geneva offense had several chances to pull closer, with base runners in every inning, but the Golden Tornadoes couldn't get the key hits. Senior David Toruno did homer as part of a two-run seventh inning. Lemansky's single in the ninth brought home Geneva's final run in the 11-5 loss.
Geneva outhit Westminster 14-9 in game one, but the Titans took advantage of four errors and six walks to boost their offense.
Offensively, Lemansky led the attack with three hits, while Hermansen, Toruno and sophomores Aaron Babu and Kirk Bearjar each had two hits.
Sophomore Ryan Conover got the start in game two, and Geneva gave him some early run support. Hermansen walked in the bottom of the first and went to third on a double from Bearjar. Lemansky brought them both home with a single.
The Golden Tornadoes added a third run on an RBI-single from freshman Michael Twigg in the second inning.
The Titans took advantage of some command issues from Conover to pull even in the third inning with three runs on two walks, two hit batters and a bloop single.
Geneva answered back with three runs in the bottom of the frame, all after the first two batters were retired. Bearjar and Lemansky walked, and McGuire's single accounted for two runs after a Titan error allowed the second run to score. Toruno followed with a double to bring home McGuire to give Geneva a 6-3 lead.
However, Westminster responded in the top of the fourth with two runs to pull within one run, and then the Titans took advantage of some more command issues by Geneva pitching in the fifth, scoring five times on on three hits, two walks and an error, taking their first lead of the game, 10-6. Babu prevented further damage by throwing out a runner at the plate for the final out of the inning.
Junior Caleb Graft, followed by Lemansky, gave the Golden Tornadoes some strong relief pitching over the final four innings, holding the Titans scoreless, but the offense couldn't put together a comeback and dropped the second game.
The second game had a similar feel to the first, with Geneva outhitting Westminster 10-8 despite the loss. Twigg and Toruno led the attack with three hits apiece.
Geneva will try to rebound on Tuesday when the Golden Tornadoes host Saint Vincent for a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.
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).
