BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Graduate student Julia Hart broke the Geneva College softball career RBI record late in game two against Bethany on Wednesday afternoon, helping the Golden Tornadoes split their doubleheader with the Bison in their final home games of the season.  Bethany held off a late Geneva rally in game one to win 3-2 before the Golden Tornadoes won game two, 7-2.  Geneva's record is now 24-11 overall, 11-7 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).

Junior McKenzie Rapp got the start in the circle in game one, and Bethany scraped together a couple bloop hits, along with a couple Geneva defensive miscues, to score three runs in the top of the second, forcing the Golden Tornadoes to play from behind against Bethany ace Josie Wise.

Rapp was strong the rest of the game, keeping the Bison off the board and allowing the Geneva offense to try to mount a comeback.

The Golden Tornadoes got on the board in the bottom of the fourth after junior Lexi Zanic singled and Hart doubled to put runners at second and third with no outs.  However, Geneva could only plate one run on an RBI-single from junior Madison Rapp.

Hart pulled Geneva within a run when she crushed a ball well over the left field fence in the sixth inning.  The Golden Tornadoes then looked primed to complete the comeback when junior Payton James reached to lead off the bottom of the seventh on an error and went to third on a double from sophomore Molly Shelley.  Unfortunately, the next two batters popped up, and James tried to tag up on the second shallow pop-up and was thrown out at the plate to end the game.

Rapp pitched all seven innings, giving up eight hits and three runs, two earned.  Hart and Madison Rapp paced the offense with two hits apiece.

Despite the frustrating loss in game one, the Golden Tornadoes bounced back in game two behind the pitching of junior Sophia Tvaroch, who got the start in the circle.

Tvaroch didn't allow much to Bethany all game, and Geneva got on the board in the bottom of the third when Zanic singled home Shelley.

The Golden Tornadoes added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI-groundout from sophomore Kyra Wilcox and an RBI-single from Shelley.

Geneva continued to add to its lead in the fifth when junior Justine Robbins drove one deep over the left field fence for a 2-run homer, increasing the Golden Tornadoes' lead to 5-0.

Hart broke the RBI record in the bottom of the sixth when she came to bat with two outs in the inning and Shelley on third base.  Hart drove the first pitch she saw deep over the left-centerfield fence and trotted around the bases to the delight of her teammates who were aware of her record-breaking blast.  She now has 153 career RBIs.

Bethany produced its only offense of the game in the seventh with two late runs, closing out the scoring, 7-2.

Tvaroch earned her ninth win of the season, pitching all seven innings while giving up six hits and two runs, striking out three.

Hart was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs.  Robbins added two hits, including her home run, and two RBIs, while Zanic and Madison Rapp each contributed two hits as well.  Shelley scored twice and stole three bases.

Geneva closes out the regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader at Franciscan, beginning at 1:00 p.m.  The PAC playoffs are slated to start next Thursday, with Geneva now battling for playoff-seed positioning.