BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva baseball team played two extremely close games against the Saint Vincent Bearcats Wednesday afternoon, winning game one 5-4 before falling in an 11-inning game two, 9-8. There was not much to separate either side for the majority of the afternoon, with two teams hoping to make a run at the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs battling it out for the split. Geneva's record moves to 9-7 (1-3), while Saint Vincent now stands at 6-12 (2-2).

Geneva jumped out to a lead right off the bat in game one. Juniors Michael Twigg and Jason Triscila led off the bottom of the first inning with consecutive singles, and then a base hit by senior Kirk Bearjar scored Twigg a few moments later. Junior Hank Fedullo followed that up with an RBI-base hit of his own, and a single off the bat of sophomore CJ Jackson scored freshman Luke Troxell to put the GTs in front 3-0 after one inning.

Triscila started the game on the mound as well, and kept the Bearcat bats silent, allowing just one hit through the first three innings. The Golden Tornadoes added to their lead in the bottom of the third frame thanks to another RBI-single from Jackson, and Fedullo came in to score off a Saint Vincent error in the next at-bat, bumping Geneva's advantage to 5-0.

Triscila remained impressive on the mound, pitching all the way through the seventh inning and holding the visitors to just one unearned run. The solid pitching was needed too, as Geneva's bats went cold as the game progressed. Junior Kaden Peeples entered the game with a slim lead in the ninth inning and rose to the occasion, striking out three batters to clinch the one-run victory for the GTs.

After striking out seven batters in 7.0 innings and allowing just one unearned run, Triscila was awarded the win, his first of the season. Peeples continued to impress, earning the save, and he has now notched 11 strikeouts in 8.0 innings this season. At the plate, Jackson went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs, and Fedullo was 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, and a run. Twigg and Bearjar each managed multiple hits as well in the win.

The second game began very differently, with Saint Vincent plating three runs in the top of the first to gain an early edge. They scored once more in the second, but after that senior starter Ryan Conover seemed to settle into a rhythm, retiring nine of the next 10 batters he faced. The Golden Tornadoes got one run back in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Twigg that scored junior Noah Michal, but they still trailed 4-1.

That changed in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, sophomore Mason Smith singled home sophomore Marco Chenet, and then Michal plated Bearjar on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat. With the bases loaded again later in the inning, sophomore Simon Wehr pulled a pitch down the right-field line that allowed two more runs to score, and the Golden Tornadoes had their first lead of the game at 5-4.

Saint Vincent evened the score in the eighth inning, and when Geneva couldn't tie it up before the end of the ninth, the contest went into extras. Each team wound up scoring three runs apiece in the tenth, with Geneva's final two runs coming on a dropped pop-up by the Saint Vincent infield. Unfortunately, a defensive mistake by the GTs in the 11^th inning proved costly, as the Bearcats scored to take a 9-8 advantage and ultimately win the game.

Conover tossed 6.0 innings in his start, allowing four runs and striking out six while issuing just one walk. Wehr was Geneva's top player at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Bearjar also registered two hits.

The Golden Tornadoes will now turn their attention to this Saturday, when they are scheduled to face Grove City in another PAC doubleheader. Game one is slated for 1:00 p.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).