BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – After falling behind 6-3 against John Carroll University on Friday afternoon, the Geneva softball team scored five consecutive runs to complete a come-from-behind victory over the Blue Streaks. The two sides were supposed to play a doubleheader, but the second game was called short due to darkness. Following the victory, Geneva's overall record now stands at 17-8, while John Carroll falls to 9-11.

After allowing the Blue Streaks to score one run in the top of the first inning, the women struggled to get anything going at the plate, and they were held to just one hit through the first three innings. Junior pitcher Sophia Tvaroch, who got the start for Geneva, kept the score close with some excellent pitching, and it stayed a one-run game over the next three innings.

Finally, in the fourth inning, the Golden Tornadoes caught fire at the plate. The women used three singles to load the bases with just one out, and a perfectly placed swinging bunt by sophomore Aliya Ottaviani scored junior Lexi Zanic from third base. A wild pitch allowed another Geneva run to score, and on the next at-bat sophomore Callie Mangan hit a deep sacrifice fly to leftfield that brought home junior Justine Robbins. Those runs gave the GTs their first lead of the game, and they led 3-1 after four.

After two of the first three Blue Streak batters were retired in the fifth inning, the visitors put together a big rally, scoring five times after a Geneva error allowed the inning to continue. Junior McKenzie Rapp entered the game in relief, but John Carroll led 6-3 heading into the bottom half of the frame.

The first two batters reached base for Geneva in the bottom of the fifth, but the next two were put out by John Carroll. With two out and two on, graduate student Julia Hart cranked a three-run home run to left-centerfield to tie the game, pushing the momentum back in Geneva's favor. A throwing error later in the inning allowed another Geneva run to score, and the women had the lead once again, 7-6.

Solid relief pitching from Rapp kept John Carroll off the board, and an RBI-double by her twin sister, Madison Rapp, in the next inning gave Geneva some breathing room. McKenzie Rapp closed out the game for Geneva without allowing a run, and the GTs secured the victory, 8-6.

Rapp got the win, throwing 2.1 innings of scoreless softball and striking out three. Hart's three RBIs on her home run led the Golden Tornadoes, while Shelley, Robbins, and Madison Rapp each finished with two hits, Robbins and Rapp collecting doubles in the process. Shelley also stole four bases, tying her career-high.

In game two, Geneva appeared on its way to a sweep, getting home runs from Shelley and Hart while grabbing a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth, but the game was called due to darkness. The game will not be made up and the stats will not count since the game did not make it through five innings.

The women resume Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play tomorrow, April 12^th, when they travel up to Meadville, PA, for a doubleheader against Allegheny College beginning 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).