PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Geneva College softball team swept La Roche in a doubleheader on Monday afternoon in a set of games that was just added over the weekend. The Golden Tornadoes won a high-scoring affair in game one, 18-7, and then took the second game of the day, 8-3. Geneva improved to 28-11 on the season as it prepares for the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs starting on Thursday.
Junior McKenzie Rapp got the start in the circle in game one, and Geneva staked her to an early lead. Sophomore Kyra Wilcox singled home sophomore Molly Shelley in the first inning for a run, and then a Wilcox sacrifice fly and an RBI-single from junior Lexi Zanic in the second inning increased Geneva's lead to 3-0.
The Golden Tornadoes doubled their lead in the third inning when freshman Stacey Rodriguez doubled to drive home two, and then Shelley brought home a third run with an RBI-single.
La Roche got its offense going in the bottom of the third, scoring four times after a couple defensive miscues, pulling the Redhawks within two, 6-4.
Graduate student Julia Hart homered to center in the fourth, but La Roche answered with a run in the bottom of the frame to stay close.
Geneva's offense continued to produce in the fifth, with Shelley driving home two more runs with a triple, and an RBI-groundout from Wilcox scoring Shelley to extend the Geneva lead to 10-5.
La Roche answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning off the Geneva bullpen before the Golden Tornadoes put the game away in the sixth with a huge inning.
Geneva scored eight times in the top of the sixth. Rodriguez drove in one with a fielder's choice, followed by an RBI-single from freshman Isabela Skrlac that scored two. Wilcox singled home a run, and the Zanic drove home two more with a triple. Hart singled home Zanic, and Hart eventually scored on an fielder's choice from freshman Micaiah Armstrong, wrapping up the scoring in the game, 18-7.
Junior Jorja Koerner retired the Redhawks in order in the bottom of the sixth to end the game. Rapp earned her 13th win of the season with four innings of work.
Shelley had a big first game, going 4-for-5 with a triple, three runs scored, three RBIs and a stolen base. Hart finished 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs. Zanic and Skrlac each added three hits apiece, including a double and a triple by Zanic, with Zanic driving in three runs while Skrlac scored twice and drove in two. Wilcox drove in a career-high four runs while contributing two hits, while Rodriguez also finished with two hits while scoring three times and driving in three RBIs. The women finished with a season-high 20 hits.
Junior Sophia Tvaroch got the start in game two, and Hart drove in Zanic with an RBI-triple in the top of the first to give Geneva the early advantage.
Tvaroch was sharp early, shutting down the La Roche offense, and the Golden Tornadoes put together a big inning in the third to take control. Geneva scored five runs as Hart brought home one when she was hit with the bases loaded, junior Justine Robbins delivered a two-run single, junior Madison Rapp scored Robbins with an RBI-triple, and senior Megan Gray wrapped up the scoring with an RBI-single.
Shelley kept the offense going with a solo home run to left field to start the fourth inning. La Roche scratched a run across in the bottom of the inning to get on the board, but sophomore Malerie Branson got that run back with an RBI-double in the fifth. The Redhawks scored the final two runs of the game off the Geneva bullpen as the Golden Tornadoes finished off the 8-3 victory.
Tvaroch earned her 11th win of the season with 4.2 innings of work, giving up just one run.
Madison Rapp led the offense with a 3-for-3 effort, collecting a walk, a triple, a run scored and an RBI. Shelley finished with two hits, including the home run, while scoring twice. Wilcox also added two hits, while Zanic scored twice and stole two bases. Hart and Robbins each drove in two runs.
Geneva learned its first-round opponent on Monday for the upcoming PAC playoffs. Thiel earned the final spot in the playoffs, so Geneva will take on the Tomcats at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday in the first round of the tournament at Grove City. If the Golden Tornadoes win the first game, they will take on No. 2 Westminster at 4:00 p.m. If Geneva loses in the first round of the double elimination tournament, the Golden Tornadoes will play again on Friday at 10:00 a.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).
