NAPLES, Fla. – The Geneva College softball team won its first game of the day on Thursday before suffering its first loss of the season in game two.  The Golden Tornadoes opened the day with 12-4 victory over La Roche before falling to Westfield State 9-1 later in the morning.  Geneva is now 5-1 on the season.

In the first game of the day against La Roche, junior Justine Robbins drove in junior Lexi Zanic and graduate student Julia Hart with a double in the top of the first, but the Redhawks answered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame off junior starter McKenzie Rapp.

Geneva's offense kept producing in the top of the second, scoring five times.  Sophomore Molly Shelley had an RBI-single, sophomore Kyra Wilcox drove in freshman Isabela Skrlac and Shelley with a single, and then Robbins drove home Wilcox and Zanic with a single to give the Golden Tornadoes a 7-2 edge.

The Redhawks got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third, but Geneva added to its lead in the top of the fifth with five more runs.  Junior Payton James had an RBI-single, Zanic drove home one with a fielder's choice, Hart doubled in two runs, and then Robbins wrapped up the scoring with another RBI-double.

La Roche closed out the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the fifth, but it wasn't enough to keep the mercy rule from taking effect as Geneva won 12-4 after five innings.

Rapp earned her fourth win of the season, pitching 4.0 innings while giving up three hits and three runs.

Robbins drove the offense with three hits and five RBIs.  Shelley, Wilcox, Skrlac and James all contributed two hits each, while Wilcox and Hart each drove in two runs.

Game two against Westfield State was a pitcher's duel early on, with junior Sophia Tvaroch getting the start in the circle.  Westfield State pushed across a run in the fourth, but Hart answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.

However, the Owls broke the game open in the top of the sixth, bunching together six hits and scoring five times while knocking Tvaroch out of the game in the process.  Westfield State added three unearned runs in the seventh to close out the scoring, 9-1.

Hart led the offense with three of Geneva's seven hits, including the home run.

The Golden Tornadoes will look to rebound tomorrow when Geneva plays twice more, with games against Alfred State and SUNY Potsdam beginning at 9:00 a.m.