BETHANY, W.Va. – The Geneva baseball team found tough sledding in West Virginia Saturday afternoon, losing both their games to Bethany College, with the Bison taking the first contest 7-4 and winning game two 11-1. Coming off a doubleheader sweep of Franciscan earlier in the week, the Golden Tornadoes could not carry over their momentum and fell to 12-12 (4-8) with the loss. On the flip side, the two victories improve Bethany's record to 19-8 (9-3), with the Bison currently tied for second place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).

The hosts got on the board first to start game one, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to gain an early edge. It wasn't until the top of the third inning that Geneva put up some runs of their own, with sophomore Simon Wehr coming home on a two-out wild pitch. The inning continued with freshman Luke Troxell walking and then stealing second, and big double in the gap by freshman Logan Middendorf brought Troxell home to tie the game at 2-2.

Junior Jason Triscila was the starting pitcher for the GTs, and he kept the Bison bats cold for the next few frames after allowing the two early runs. Geneva took the lead in the top of the fifth after sophomore Marco Chenet walked with the bases loaded, and then junior Bradley McGuire sent in another run with an RBI in the next at-bat, pushing the men ahead 4-2.

That was where the Golden Tornadoes' momentum ran out, however. Bethany got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, and proceeded to score two more in each of the next two innings. The Bison saw out the remainder of the game, winning 7-4.

Triscila finished with 6.0 innings pitched and six strikeouts in the loss. Senior Jake McFarland threw well in relief, tossing two scoreless frames. Middendorf's double in the third inning was the only extra-base hit for the men in game one.

Game two got out of hand early, with Bethany scoring seven times in the first three innings. A solo shot to left field in the fourth inning by sophomore James Zugai was a bright spot for the GTs' offense, but it was the only run they scored in game two as they dropped the contest 11-1.

In addition to Zugai's home run, McGuire, Chenet, and junior Noah Michal all registered hits in game two as well.

The men play again this coming Tuesday, April 14, when they travel to Thiel College for a PAC doubleheader with the Tomcats. The first pitch of game one is scheduled 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).