BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva baseball team earned a split in their home doubleheader with Thiel College today, narrowly dropping a high-scoring game one 18-17 before taking the second game 7-3. Sophomore pitcher Dylan Rowe threw a complete game in the second contest to headline the day for the men, allowing just three earned runs in his start. With the split, the men's record now stands at 12-14 overall, 3-11 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play, while Thiel moves to 10-18, an even 6-6 in the PAC.

Before the game began, Geneva honored the eight seniors who are a part of this year's team – Harrison Burns, Eric Gonzalez, Caleb Graft, Jeff Hawkins, Zach Lemansky, Connor O'Brien, Zack Sackett, and Derek Sears. The class is one of the largest for Geneva baseball in recent memory, and they have left their mark both on the program and the broader campus community.

Geneva got on the board in the second inning of game one, with the first five batters of the frame reaching base for the GTs. RBIs by Gonzalez and freshman Marco Chenet sent the men in front 2-0, but a Thiel double play stymied any other potential Geneva runs in the inning.

The Tomcats scored four times in the top of the third inning, but the Golden Tornadoes with a big inning of their own in the fourth. Back-to-back doubles by Chenet and sophomore Bradley McGuire each scored a run, and two batters later Sackett singled home McGuire for another. Geneva managed to load up the bases later in the inning, and three straight runs scored on a hit-by-pitch, an RBI-single from sophomore Michael Twigg, and a walk. Chenet came up to bat once again and stayed hot, pushing over two more runs with a single, and McGuire capped off the frame with an RBI-single to centerfield that put Geneva up 11-4.

McGuire and O'Brien each notched RBIs in the sixth inning after Thiel scored twice in the top of the frame, and a double steal by Gonzalez and Twigg allowed the latter to come home as well. Up 14-6, Geneva allowed six runs to the Tomcats in the seventh inning, but Sackett sent home two runners with a triple in the eighth to strengthen Geneva's advantage. He came home to score on a sacrifice fly by Lemansky, and Geneva led 17-12 after eight.

Unfortunately, things fell apart for the Golden Tornadoes in the ninth inning, as the Tomcats scored six more times to gain a one-run edge. Geneva could not plate a run in the bottom of the frame, dropping a heartbreaker 18-17.

Chenet had a terrific game at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs before being forced to leave due to injury. Twigg put forward a 3-for-5 effort with a double and an RBI, while McGuire and Sackett each recorded two three RBIs on two hits.

Despite the frustrating loss, the men picked up right where they left off offensively in Game two, scoring four times in the first inning. The first six Geneva batters reached base, with Lemansky smacking a triple and Gonzalez and junior Aaron Babu both hitting doubles. Those three, plus Twigg, each had one RBI in the inning, and the GTs were up 4-0 after one.

Rowe got the start in game two and pitched very well, keeping the Tomcats off the board until the fifth inning. Geneva scored once more in the third inning to make it a 5-0 game, and when Thiel finally broke through for two runs in the top of the fifth, the men responded in the bottom of the inning with two more runs, scored by Burns and freshman Simon Wehr.

Thiel tagged Rowe for one more run in the seventh inning, but the big right-hander stayed efficient, getting out of the frame quickly. Up 7-3, the Golden Tornadoes maintained their composure, and Rowe finished out the game well for the first complete-game victory of his career. Through 9.0 innings, he allowed just three runs, all earned, while walking just one batter and striking out one to secure his third win of the year.

Gonzalez had another excellent game offensively, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. All together, he reached base safely on nine of his 10 plate appearances between the two games. Babu finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Lemansky was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, an RBI and two runs scored.

Geneva's next two games are against non-conference opponents, with the men taking on Penn State New Kensington at home on Tuesday, April 15^th, at 4:30 p.m. before hosting Penn State Beaver the following afternoon.

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).