KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Geneva College softball team rallied for a dramatic comeback victory in the first game of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Tournament on Tuesday afternoon, defeating No. 4 Oakland City 4-2 in eight innings to open tournament play.  The Golden Tornadoes, the No. 5 seed, then had to match up against No. 1 Concordia in the second game of the day, and Geneva couldn't duplicate its rally against the Cardinals and lost, 3-1.

Sophomore Sophia Tvaroch got the start in the circle in the first game, and she pitched well.  Oakland City got on the board in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of a leadoff walk and a wild pitch to score the game's first run on a bloop single.

Geneva didn't get its first base runner until freshman Molly Shelley led off the fourth inning with a single, but she was caught stealing on the next pitch. 

Oakland City added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out double, followed by a single, putting Geneva in a two-run deficit heading into the final frame.

The Golden Tornadoes finally got their offense going, though, at the very last minute.  Shelley worked a walk to start the seventh, and sophomore Lexi Zanic followed with a double to put runners at second and third.  Senior Julia Hart then hit a sacrifice fly that plated Shelley.  Zanic moved to third, and when the throw to the plate on Hart's sacrifice fly got away, Zanic scampered home to tie the game at 2-2.

Tvaroch kept the Oaks scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings, where the Geneva offense kept hitting.

Junior Megan Gray led off the eighth with a single, and sophomore Payton James pinch ran for her.  Sophomore Alex Guzman then laced a ball up the left field line that brought James home to give Geneva its first lead of the game.  Guzman advanced to third on the relay throw home, and then freshman Aliya Ottaviani blooped a single into right field to score Guzman.

Sophomore McKenzie Rapp relieved Tvaroch in the bottom of the eighth, and she quickly retired Oakland City in order to finish off the comeback victory, 4-2.

Tvaroch earned the win with seven strong innings of work, giving up just five hits and two runs, while striking out seven.  Guzman led the offense with two of Geneva's seven hits.

The win moved Geneva into the winner's bracket where the Golden Tornadoes had to face No. 1 Concordia, the team that beat Geneva twice last week in winning the NCCAA Midwest Regional.

Tvaroch got the start in the circle again for the Golden Tornadoes, and after a scoreless first inning, Concordia got on the board in the bottom of the second with a run.

Geneva pulled even in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of a Cardinal error to score a run, to tie the score at 1-1.

Concordia answered Geneva's run in the bottom of the frame, though, to retake the lead, 2-1.

Geneva's best chance to answer came in the top of the fifth when the Golden Tornadoes loaded the bases with two outs, but all three runners were stranded.  Concordia added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth against Rapp, who relieved Tvaroch after four innings, and Geneva couldn't rally in the top of the seventh, falling 3-1.

Shelley had three of Geneva's six hits against Concordia to lead the offense.

Geneva will now await the winner of tomorrow's early game between Oakland City and Dallas Christian.  The Golden Tornadoes will play that elimination game at 3:30 p.m.