FORT MYERS, Fla. – After struggling to put runners on base in their Spring Break opener one day prior, the Geneva baseball team came back with a vengeance on Tuesday morning, scoring 19 runs to defeat the University of Valley Forge. Geneva head coach Alan Sumner received solid contributions from all over the lineup as the Golden Tornadoes put together their best offensive performance of the season thus far. The win gives them a 4-2 record, while the Patriots drop to 4-5 overall.

The GTs started scoring almost immediately, putting up three runs in the first inning. With two outs, freshman Logan Middendorf singled to send home junior Bradley McGuire, and a base hit up the middle by junior Jason Triscila bumped that advantage to 2-0 as senior Kirk Bearjar crossed home. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, junior Noah Michal grounded another single up the middle to bring in Middendorf, and just like that Geneva had a three-run advantage.

After junior Dylan Rowe, who received the start, retired the Patriots' batters in order in the bottom of the frame, Geneva struck again in the second inning. McGuire came in to score once again on a wild pitch, but Valley Forge got two runs back in the bottom half, cutting the GTs' lead to two runs. Thankfully, the Golden Tornadoes responded with two runs of their own in the third, with Middendorf scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior Jonathan Dysinger and junior Michael Twigg singling in Triscila.

The fourth inning is where the men did most of their damage. They opened the side with four consecutive base hits, highlighted by a booming Bearjar double down the left field line. A few batters later, Dysinger walked with the bases loaded, putting Geneva ahead by seven. The Golden Tornadoes then drove in six runs over the next three batters thanks to a two-RBI single from McGuire, a double by sophomore Marco Chenet to score Dysinger, and to cap it off, a powerful opposite-field home run by Bearjar, his second extra-base hit of the inning. Geneva led 15-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

The men weren't done scoring quite yet, either. Back-to-back singles by Michal and Dysinger in the top of the fifth inning put two runners on base, and then Twigg sent everyone home on a three-run bomb to left field. Later in the inning, Middendorf singled in Chenet, which wrapped up the Geneva scoring for the day.

After Valley Forge got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth, the final two innings went quickly. Geneva's two relief pitchers, junior Kaden Peeples and senior Ethan Blair, each pitched well down the stretch, and the Golden Tornadoes ran out the rest of the game to come away with a 19-4 victory.

Rowe earned the win, his first of the season, after allowing four runs in 5.0 innings and striking out six. Peeples and Blair each registered a scoreless inning as well in the win.

Bearjar was the driving force behind an all-around impressive effort by the men offensively, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, two doubles, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Twigg recorded a four-RBI game of his own thanks to his home run, while Middendorf was a pristine 4-for-4 in the batter's box with three runs and two RBIs. McGuire, Chenet, Triscila, Michal, and Dysinger all finished with multiple hits in the win.

The GTs are set to take on Baruch tomorrow, March 11, with game one scheduled for 12:00 p.m. After that, they will have a day off before returning to play on Friday.

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).