BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team picked up a big doubleheader sweep of Grove City on Thursday afternoon against a Wolverines team that came into the day tied for first place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).  The Golden Tornadoes won a pitchers' duel in game one, 2-1 in eight innings, and then the offense exploded in game two for a 12-1 victory that ended after five innings.  Geneva improved to 21-10 overall, 8-6 in the PAC, while Grove City dropped to 20-11, 11-5 in the PAC.

Junior McKenzie Rapp got the start in the circle in game one, and less than 24 hours after she opened the game against Carnegie Mellon with seven scoreless innings, she was excellent again.  Grove City managed an unearned run against her in the first inning for what proved to be its only score of the game.

The Geneva offense struggled against Grove City starter Abigail Meadors, who held Geneva without a hit until sophomore Molly Shelley singled with two outs in the fifth.

The Golden Tornadoes finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth against Meadors to pull even.  Graduate student Julia Hart and junior Justine Robbins singled with one out to put runners at the corners, and then Hart came home on a shallow fly ball from junior Madison Rapp, with Hart sliding just under a high throw home.

Rapp kept putting up zeros, and the game went to extra innings before Geneva prevailed.  Junior Lexi Zanic opened the bottom of the eighth with a single and went to third on a double from Hart that just missed turning into a game-ending homer after it hit just below the top of the wall.  Robbins followed with an RBI-single to give Geneva the dramatic 2-1 victory.

Rapp earned her 10^th win of the season, pitching all eight innings while giving up just six hits and one unearned run, striking out six.  Hart and Robbins each collected two of Geneva's six hits.

Game two was a far different affair for the Golden Tornado offense.  Junior Sophia Tvaroch got the start and pitched a scoreless first inning, and then the Geneva offense exploded for a huge inning.

The first eight batters reached base, with Grove City starter Kyla Campbell unable to record an out before she was replaced in the circle.  Shelley led off with a double, sophomore Kyra Wilcox walked, and Zanic followed with a single to drive home Shelley.  Hart followed with an RBI-single, and then Robbins singled to drive in two more runners.  Geneva reloaded the bases with a single from Madison Rapp and a walk by sophomore Callie Mangan.  Freshman Isabela Skrlac's single drove in two more runners, and the Golden Tornadoes scored twice more on a passed ball and a throwing error to close out the scoring in the frame.

Tvaroch was just as good as McKenzie Rapp was in game one.  She gave up just a single run in the second inning, and Geneva added four more runs in the bottom of the third to close out the scoring.

Skrlac, sophomore Makenna Redfern, Shelley and Wilcox opened the inning with three singles and walk, and all four eventually came around to score to put Geneva up 12-1.

Tvaroch closed out the final two innings to earn the victory, with the game called after five innings due to the mercy rule.  She picked up her eighth win with five innings of work, giving up just four hits and one run.

Shelley, Wilcox, Robbins and Skrlac each finished with two hits, while Zanic, Robbins and Skrlac each drove in two runs.

Geneva's eight-game homestand continues on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Chatham, which is slated to start at 3:30 p.m.