WAYNESBURG, Pa. – They did it in very different ways each time, but the Geneva College baseball team brought home two victories from their trip to Waynesburg Friday afternoon, winning both games of the doubleheader by scores of 11-5 and 5-0. The bats were the story for the GTs in game one, with the men launching three home runs, while it was the pitching that highlighted game two as sophomore starter Dylan Rowe tossed a complete game shutout. With the sweep, Geneva's record moves up to 16-15 on the season, 6-12 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Waynesburg drops to 7-27 (3-14).

Waynesburg was the first team to strike in game one, pushing a run across in the second inning to grab a 1-0 edge. That lead grew to 3-0 in the next inning, with a bases-loaded single and then a walk allowing two more runs to score for the Yellow Jackets. Senior Caleb Graft, who got the start for Geneva on the mound, seemed to settle down at that point, and got out of the bases loaded jam to finish the inning.

The Golden Tornadoes' first run came in the fourth inning, when junior Kirk Bearjar hit an RBI-double that scored senior Eric Gonzalez from first base. An RBI-single by senior Zack Sackett in the next inning pulled the men within one run, but it wasn't until the seventh frame that they tied up the score. In Sackett's next at-bat he crushed a solo home run to left field, and the game was knotted at 3-3.

After laboring through the first three frames, Graft began to pitch very efficiently, allowing just one Yellow Jacket baserunner over the next 3.2 innings. Unfortunately, Waynesburg tagged him for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead, 5-3, and his day was done. Junior Eric Keaton entered in relief, and he got the GTs out of the inning trailing by only two.

With one out in the top of the eighth, Gonzalez pulled a triple down the right field line and then was brought home on a two-run shot by Bearjar to tie the game. The GTs' offense didn't stop there, with the next four batters reaching base. An RBI-single by freshman Simon Wehr gave the men their first lead of the contest, 6-5, and after another run scored on a Waynesburg error Sackett smacked his second home run of the game to cap off a six-run inning.

Geneva scored twice more in the ninth inning on a 2-RBI single by sophomore Bradley McGuire, and Keaton shut down the Yellow Jacket offense to seal the victory for the men, 11-5.

Sackett and Bearjar each went 3-for-5 in game one, with Sackett collecting four RBIs and Beajar three. Gonzalez managed multiple hits for the men as well, scoring a team-high three runs while hitting a triple and a double. Keaton was awarded the win after pitching 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits.

Game two was much less eventful from an offensive standpoint, but runs weren't necessary for the Golden Tornadoes with Rowe on the mound. The tall right-hander went the first five innings without allowing a hit, and in fact had pitched a perfect game before Waynesburg managed a single to start the sixth inning.

Junior Aaron Babu gave the men the lead in the third inning when his RBI-triple sent home Wehr from first base. Gonzalez made the score 2-0 in the next inning with an RBI-hit of his own, and there the score would remain until the eighth.

Rowe remained masterful on the mound for Geneva, keeping the GTs in front despite just the two runs of support. Finally, in the eighth inning, both Babu and sophomore Michael Twigg singled to open the frame, and with runners at the corners senior Zach Lemansky delivered a double to center field that scored two. Babu recorded an RBI-double of his own in the ninth inning to give Geneva a 5-0 lead, and Rowe closed out the game to give the GTs' the 5-0 victory.

Rowe pitched efficiently all afternoon, needing just 93 pitches to throw the full 9.0 innings. He allowed just four hits to the Yellow Jackets and no runs, while striking out four batters and not issuing a single walk. Babu headlined the Golden Tornado batters in game two, finishing 3-for-5 in game two with a double, a triple, and two RBIs. Lemansky collected two RBIs as well, while Gonzalez was the only other Geneva player to finish with multiple hits in the win.

The men are set to play seven games in six days next week, in what will be the final week of play for the team this season. That stretch begins with a non-conference matchup versus Penn State New Kensington at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 28^th.

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).